An Open Call for Literature: This Thing Called Love
The Buckham Fine Arts Project announces its second literary call for submissions to be considered for publication in an anthology centered on the genre of Love. The publication and release event are scheduled for May 2027.
The top piece will receive an award of $25 and a complimentary copy of the publication
Deadline: July 10, 2026
$10 reading/submission fee per work*
*Those experiencing an economic hardship should reach out to receive a voucher to cover the $10 reading fee.
This Thing Called Love Anthology
We often speak of love as a destination or a fixed state, but in practice, it is living, breathing, and occasionally volatile. It can be more like a state of flux, a long journey, a mad vortex, or a series of experiments. It is the "thing" that occupies the space between two people—sometimes a bridge, sometimes a barrier, and often a mystery even to those held within its grip.
For this anthology, we are seeking work that strips away the greeting-card gloss to examine the mechanics, the mess, and the marvel of romantic connection. We want to see love not just as a feeling, but as a verb, a haunting, or a hard-won negotiation.
Angles to consider:
Kelsey Ronan grew up in Flint, Michigan. Her work has appeared in Lit Hub, Michigan Quarterly Review, Indiana Review, Electric Literature, Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. She is the author of the novel Chevy in the Hole (Holt, 2022), which was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a Michigan Notable Book, and the 2022 selection for the Flint Community Read and Michigan Public Reads. She lives in Metro Detroit.
Submission Guidelines:
Please direct questions to Nic Custer at [email protected], with the subject line "This Thing Called Love Anthology."
Judging:
Judging will be completed by the Buckham Writers Group, with the final selection made by novelist Kelsey Ronan.
The top piece will receive an award of $25 and a complimentary copy of the publication
Deadline: July 10, 2026
$10 reading/submission fee per work*
*Those experiencing an economic hardship should reach out to receive a voucher to cover the $10 reading fee.
This Thing Called Love Anthology
We often speak of love as a destination or a fixed state, but in practice, it is living, breathing, and occasionally volatile. It can be more like a state of flux, a long journey, a mad vortex, or a series of experiments. It is the "thing" that occupies the space between two people—sometimes a bridge, sometimes a barrier, and often a mystery even to those held within its grip.
For this anthology, we are seeking work that strips away the greeting-card gloss to examine the mechanics, the mess, and the marvel of romantic connection. We want to see love not just as a feeling, but as a verb, a haunting, or a hard-won negotiation.
Angles to consider:
- The Anatomy of Attraction: That inexplicable "thing"—the chemistry that defies logic or the slow-burn realization that a friendship has shifted its axis.
- Modern Rituals: How love translates through the digital veil, the exhaustion of the "search," and the strange intimacy of shared screens.
- The Quiet Endurance: Beyond the "happily ever after"—the romance found in the mundane, the heavy lifting of long-term partnership, and the beauty of being truly known.
- Love as a Haunting: The lingering presence of "the one that got away" or the way past romances dictate the shape of current ones.
- The Unconventional: Love that doesn't fit the standard mold—platonic romances, queer perspectives, and the radical act of self-love in a world that demands we pair up.
Kelsey Ronan grew up in Flint, Michigan. Her work has appeared in Lit Hub, Michigan Quarterly Review, Indiana Review, Electric Literature, Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. She is the author of the novel Chevy in the Hole (Holt, 2022), which was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a Michigan Notable Book, and the 2022 selection for the Flint Community Read and Michigan Public Reads. She lives in Metro Detroit.
Submission Guidelines:
- We are looking for well-written, love-themed prose or poetry that has not been published.
- Stories should be between 500 – 4,000 words.
- Submission of up to three poems of 50 lines each or less.
- All submissions are through the Google form at https://forms.gle/vjnceYuywBJ7n3rb9
- Submissions will be accepted April 1, 2026 through July 10, 2026.
- Submission payment of $10 per submission may be made at the link below. Please take a screenshot of your payment confirmation screen and upload on the google form with your submission. Thank you! https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/EWRJZBUGN45JU
- *Those experiencing an economic hardship should reach out to receive a voucher to cover the $10 reading fee.
- We reserve the right to reformat your story or poem as necessary.
- By submitting, as the author of the work, you accept responsibility for any possible copyright infringement.
- The top piece will receive an award of $25 and a complimentary copy of the publication.
- Selected semifinalist will be included in the anthology publication. US contributors will receive 1 printed copy. Overseas contributors will receive 1 digital copy.
- With all submissions, please include a short 50-word bio.
- We will not consider submissions written, developed, or assisted by AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Please direct questions to Nic Custer at [email protected], with the subject line "This Thing Called Love Anthology."
Judging:
Judging will be completed by the Buckham Writers Group, with the final selection made by novelist Kelsey Ronan.
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Buckham Gallery is funded by the following organizations:
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Generous support is provided by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
This program is sponsored by the Greater Flint Arts Council Share Art Genesee Grant Program made possible by the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Millage funds. Your tax dollars are at work!
This program is sponsored by the Greater Flint Arts Council Share Art Genesee Grant Program made possible by the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Millage funds. Your tax dollars are at work!
