Parkersburg, W.Va. (Nov. 7, 2022) – The Poorhouse Rag, WVU Parkersburg’s literary magazine, is opening a special call for writers, spoken word artists and visual artists affiliated with the college to submit works addressing pandemic-specific issues, including themes of overcoming and moving toward to normalcy.

Originally published each fall, the Fine Arts Committee has shifted the release of the publication to the spring to celebrate the culmination of student work at the end of the academic year. Works submitted to The Poorhouse Rag last winter and spring will be featured in the 2023 edition.

“Dr. Held brought to The Fine Arts Committee an observation of students needing an outlet to connect with one another, which she noticed during a student’s speech in her communication course. The Fine Arts Committee agreed that adding this layer to the magazine was important to our campus community, as any creative endeavor has proven cathartic during these times,” said WVU Parkersburg Assistant Professor Danielle Kelly.

Submissions are open until Jan. 9, 2023. Entrants should submit their work to thepoorhouserag@wvup.edu, include the submission genre in the subject line, a statement of their WVU Parkersburg affiliation in the body of the email and a brief third-person bio.

All writing and artwork will be considered for prizes in their respective genre alongside the President’s Prize and the Foundation Prize. The Foundation Prize winner’s work will serve as the issue’s cover. The Spring 2023 edition of The Poorhouse Rag and Poorhouse Week will be held April 17-23, 2023, where a campus-wide reading and launch will take place.

For more information and the guidelines, visit wvup.edu/poorhouserag or contact Danielle Kelly at danielle.kelly@wvup.edu or Associate Professor Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at lauri.reidmiller@wvup.edu.