It helps to understand the general characteristics of working-class writing
Working-Class Writing is grounded in lived experience showing characters as human persons in a lived space, depicting our daily life including actual physical work and how it shapes our lives.
It is written by, not about working people.
Working-Class Writing creates space for people to speak and represent ourselves,
it includes speech idioms and dialects, curses and blessings.
Working-Class Writing is communal in nature. The individual "I" is speaking for the collective "We."
Readers can recognize themselves in the writing; it gives validation to their own stories and culture.
Working-Class Writing gives language to human suffering and grief. Economics forces are recognized thus giving validation to deep feelings often ignored by mainstream art.
Working-Class Writing has agency in the world, it tells or teaches us something and is useful.
Working-Class Writing includes forces of social and political history and their impact on human relationship.
Working-Class Writing challenges dominant assumptions about aesthetics. It breaks rules
or conventions of form in favor of verity of experience.
Working-Class Writing builds a consciousness of shared class oppression, denial of rights, the exploitative nature of capitalism, and cultivates an ethic of militant class solidarity.
Working-Class Writing takes sides -- "Which Side Are You On?" it asks and then declares.
Send no more than 5 poems. Your name and address should appear on every page. Cover letter is helpful though not required. Self-addressed, stamped, size 10 envelope is required for response.
Send to Blue Collar Review P.O. Box 11417 Norfolk, VA 23517
Though it is not required, it helps to see a sample issue in advance to get a better idea of what we are looking for. We do not accept simultaneous submissions.