Contributor Guidelines
Send Work That Sends Shivers
Sport Literate is perhaps the nation’s lone literary journal that explores pastimes through creative nonfiction (primarily, the poets probably make stuff up). We’ve been awarded eleven consecutive grants from the Illinois Arts Council and have garnered several awards. We’ve produced seventeen issues in twelve years, including special baseball and all-Chicago collections. Although we’ve been slow to press in recent years, Best American Essays recognized our last two issues as “notable” in the 2004 and 2006 anthologies. The departments below make up our standard issues.
Who’s On First: A first-person account of how a leisure activity affected your life. Mark Wukas’ “Running With Ghosts,” from our “Spring Eats 1997” collection was cited as a notable essay in Best American Sports Writing of 1998. Michael McColly’s essay, “Christmas City, U.S.A.” won a creative nonfiction award from the Illinois Arts Council.
How-To: The Sport Literate How-To is tongue-in-cheek. Most explore relationships above giving advice. John Conway’s “How To Serve” in our “Pacing 1998” issue earned him a creative nonfiction award from the Illinois Arts Council.
Travel: What did you learn as a stranger? What does the leisurely life elsewhere have to offer to literature? Robert Parker’s travel piece, “The Running of the Bull,” was cited in Best American Essays, 2006.
Personal Essay: We’re hip to all the nonfiction forms—nature writing, first-person journalism—whatever floats your prose. Best American Sports Writing cited Frank Soos’ SL work twice (1997 & 1999). Michael Steinberg’s “Elegy for Ebbets” from our Baseball Issue was our first “notable essay” in Best American Essays, 2002. William Huhn’s essay, “The Triple Crown,” was mentioned in Best American Essays, 2004.
Sport Definition: Sport has many meanings. In the past we’ve listed them inside the front cover. Patricia Ann McNair utilized sport as a particular form of pastime in her essay, “And These Are the Good Times,” from the “Pacing 1998” issue, earning her an award from the Illinois Arts Council.
Poetry: Send your best verse and we’ll have poetry editor Frank Van Zant give it a read.
Photo Essays: Shutterbugs, lend us your lenses. Tell a modern sports story with black and white photographs, or recycle your grandfather’s Kodak moments. Query with ideas.
Interview: These are really just good conversations. Past interviewees include former Chicago Bear and Cardinal, Chris Zorich and Marshall Goldberg, and sportswriters Bill Gleason and Robert Lipsyte, a collective interview from the Special Olympics, and more. Query with ideas.
Who’s On First: A first-person account of how a leisure activity affected your life. Mark Wukas’ “Running With Ghosts,” from our “Spring Eats 1997” collection was cited as a notable essay in Best American Sports Writing of 1998. Michael McColly’s essay, “Christmas City, U.S.A.” won a creative nonfiction award from the Illinois Arts Council.
How-To: The Sport Literate How-To is tongue-in-cheek. Most explore relationships above giving advice. John Conway’s “How To Serve” in our “Pacing 1998” issue earned him a creative nonfiction award from the Illinois Arts Council.
Travel: What did you learn as a stranger? What does the leisurely life elsewhere have to offer to literature? Robert Parker’s travel piece, “The Running of the Bull,” was cited in Best American Essays, 2006.
Personal Essay: We’re hip to all the nonfiction forms—nature writing, first-person journalism—whatever floats your prose. Best American Sports Writing cited Frank Soos’ SL work twice (1997 & 1999). Michael Steinberg’s “Elegy for Ebbets” from our Baseball Issue was our first “notable essay” in Best American Essays, 2002. William Huhn’s essay, “The Triple Crown,” was mentioned in Best American Essays, 2004.
Sport Definition: Sport has many meanings. In the past we’ve listed them inside the front cover. Patricia Ann McNair utilized sport as a particular form of pastime in her essay, “And These Are the Good Times,” from the “Pacing 1998” issue, earning her an award from the Illinois Arts Council.
Poetry: Send your best verse and we’ll have poetry editor Frank Van Zant give it a read.
Photo Essays: Shutterbugs, lend us your lenses. Tell a modern sports story with black and white photographs, or recycle your grandfather’s Kodak moments. Query with ideas.
Interview: These are really just good conversations. Past interviewees include former Chicago Bear and Cardinal, Chris Zorich and Marshall Goldberg, and sportswriters Bill Gleason and Robert Lipsyte, a collective interview from the Special Olympics, and more. Query with ideas.
Please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with all correspondence.
| Sport Literate 2248 W Belmont No. 20 Chicago IL 60618 |
or email our editor an attachment Indicate the type of submission in your subject line |
New sample issue: $12; Subscription: $20/2 issues;
Back issues also available online.
Checks can be made payable to Sport Literate, and Paypal makes things even easier.
Photo courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society.
