The 14th volume of\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0coincides with the 250th anniversary of the\u00a0Declaration of Independence<\/em>\u00a0and the founding of the United States based on equal and universal inalienable rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through this special call,\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0encourages poets to reconsider Thomas Jefferson\u2019s\u00a0Declaration<\/em>\u00a0and Thomas Paine\u2019s preceding\u00a0Common Sense<\/em>\u00a0that had popularized these concepts.\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0is interested in work that recasts these documents\u2019 words and principles in light of our mutual pledge to each other, past and current threats to our inalienable rights, and the anniversary of this nation\u2019s founding.<\/p>\n Tab Journal\u00a0<\/em>invites submission of text selected directly from these founding source documents that can be rendered as a poem. This special call builds on Tracy K. Smith\u2019s poem \u201cDeclaration<\/a>.\u201d As such, the composition process should not reduce the document to merely an abstract of itself. Rather, as\u00a0Smith said of her own process<\/a>, the new poem should use \u201cfragments of this founding document to say this other thing that [the words] seem very intent upon saying to me now.\u201d Surprise us!<\/p>\n To compose a submission, the poet must use either Thomas Jefferson\u2019s\u00a0Declaration of Independence<\/em>, Thomas Paine\u2019s\u00a0Common Sense,<\/em>\u00a0or both. Each is available online (or as a printed booklet through a bookseller or the National Archives). No other text should be used.<\/p>\n Declaration of Independence<\/em><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/founding-docs\/declaration-transcript<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/guides\/M-654.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/GO\/GO00\/20220929\/115171\/HHRG-117-GO00-20220929-SD010.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n Common Sense<\/em><\/p>\n https:\/\/tile.loc.gov\/storage-services\/service\/gdc\/gdcscd\/00\/53\/89\/51\/17\/1\/00538951171\/00538951171.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.sjsu.edu\/people\/ruma.chopra\/courses\/H174_MW_F12\/s1\/Wk7_A.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/loveman.sdsu.edu\/docs\/1776ThomasPaine.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n Selection of the poem\u2019s text can be done by redaction, erasure, covering, lifting, or other methods. For this project, we are interested in submissions that draw from the source text itself, not with the method of text selection or the visual format the submission takes. One can work digitally to redact, leaving the evidence of the pre-existing text. Or words and phrases can be physically covered with correction tape or marker or can be cut out with scissors and taped onto a page\u2014then scanned or photographed. Or one can type selected text into a new file, without regard to the spacing and sequence of the source.<\/p>\n While the poet selects and sequences the poem\u2019s text,\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0will (re)design the accepted contributions as a reading experience. Building on\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u2019s long-standing exploration of relationships between language, reading, and design, this project depends on collaboration, trust, and innovation across founding father, poet, editor, and designer. The poem may look very different in its published form than in the submission. To see past issues of our issues, visit the\u00a0Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n To reduce barriers for potential contributors and with the support of Chapman University,\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0never charges a submission fee.<\/p>\n Because this special issue is intended to thoughtfully put poems into conversation with each other and will be individually designed by the Creative Director, we request that you refrain from simultaneous submissions. All editorial decisions will be made by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n Submit 1-3 poems. A variety of file types are acceptable for this call.<\/p>\n Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0uses\u00a0Submittable<\/a>. \u00a0The portal starts with a short eligibility form to ensure that\u00a0Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0does not consider previously published work, individuals with a current or recent affiliation with Chapman University, or work by individuals under the age of 18. In addition, the main submission form \u00a0includes three demographic questions to help us understand how our policies shape the submissions pool; \u201cI prefer not to answer\u201d is an option for each question. The form also invites submitters to share their social media handles.<\/p>\n A short cover letter with a biographical note of no more than 75 words is required. A brief explanation of the composition method can be included in the cover letter.<\/p>\n Tab Journal<\/em>\u00a0allows for a variety of file types, including .docx, .pdf, and .jpeg. Don\u2019t forget to upload the file! In addition, in the file itself, please 1) include attribution of the specific version of the source text(s), and, unless it\u2019s straightforward redaction, 2) indicate which words were where in the source text(s), particularly if the word order has been altered. We want to encourage various selection methods but also want to understand the poem text\u2019s relationship to the source text. That will allow the Creative Director to check source phrasing or clustering as she considers design options.<\/p>\n If you are experiencing challenges with the submission form or require assistance, please contact the staff using the\u00a0Contact<\/a>\u00a0form on the website; if you don’t get response within two weeks, you are welcome to contact the\u00a0Editor<\/a>\u00a0at her Chapman University email.<\/p>\n Editorial Decisions: December 20, 2025 or sooner<\/p>\n Publication\/Exhibition: National Poetry Month, April 2026<\/p>\nSource Texts<\/h3>\n
How to Respond to This Special Call<\/h2>\n
Composing the Poem<\/h3>\n
Submitting the Poem<\/h3>\n
Important Dates<\/h2>\n
Acceptance of Work<\/h2>\n