Gazing Grain Press, an independent publisher founded by alumni of George Mason University’s MFA creative writing program and sponsored by Fall for the Book, is currently accepting submissions for its second annual chapbook contest. Gazing Grain seeks poetry and hybrid manuscripts that explore “ideas of identities as connected to gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, culture, and ability,” according to the press’s website. “This contest is open to feminists of all genders and sexualities and is meant to promote socially conscious poetry and hybrid writing to a wide audience. We adhere to no one ‘definition’ of feminism—we encourage a broad and diverse range of approaches. Challenge us!”

Manuscripts should be 15-25 pages, and the winner receives publication, contributor’s copies, and an invitation to read at the upcoming Fall for the Book Festival, September 22-27, 2013 (airfare and accommodations included). Deadline for submission is June 1, and the winner will be announced in July. Full guidelines can be found here.

The judge for this year’s contest is acclaimed poet Cathy Park Hong, who appeared at last year’s Fall for the Book and whose own books include Translating Mo’um, Dance Dance Revolution, and most recently, Engine Empire.

For more information on Gazing Grain Press, visit the website here or check out recent articles on the press in Poets & Writers and in The Writer’s Chronicle. And don’t miss The Busy Life by Laura Neuman, selected by poet Brian Teare for Gazing Grain’s first chapbook contest and available for purchase here.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced on April 23 that Fall for the Book is one of 817 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. Fall for the Book is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support the 2013 festival.

This year’s Fall for the Book Festival will take place September 22-27 at George Mason University and in partnership with venues throughout Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland. Headliners already announced for the festival include thriller writer David Baldacci, author and activist Ralph Nader, poet Sonia Sanchez, and memoirist Cheryl Strayed.

Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable opportunities for the public to engage with the arts.”

In August 2012, the NEA received 1,547 eligible applications for Art Works grants requesting more than $80 million in funding. Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. The 817 recommended NEA grants total $26.3 million and span 13 artistic disciplines and fields. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

And to stay updated on plans for the 2013 Fall for the Book Festival—September 22-27—join out mailing list at www.fallforthebook.org.