Corpus Christi Writers 2020
CCW 2020
This anthology showcases the unique voices of residents or natives of Corpus Christi, Texas. From poetry to prose, fiction to non-fiction, the selections express individuality and diversity while also articulating universal themes.
The talking cat and the talking squirrel are back this year. They’re joined by a soulful dog. The pot-smoking hippie returns to be joined by the LSD police and an aging drug lord seeking a successor. Immigrants take life-threatening risks in pursuit of a better life. The Resurrection is described from the perspective of a tomb cutter. A mother fights on a mountain for her Christian values. Other writers take a decidedly secular view.
Dystopia remains a popular topic. People scramble for love and food in a hostile world. A podcast forecasts the end of the world. Some view the future more positively as esoteric products become available online. If you want escape and a guaranteed happy ending, there is that too.
Corpus Christi and Texas emerge as dominant landscapes. You can read about K Space or fishing trips or a newsboy Christmas or a rural area where disputes were handled without police. An alternate history tells of a student at Kingsville High School. The third sand bar, the Austwell turnoff, and the Copano Bay Bridge are elevated to mythic levels. They are not as familiar to the average reader as Manhattan or Brooklyn, but perhaps they should be.
There’s a poem written in the dirt and there’s an autopsy of poetry. People remember lost loves and strive for sexual identity. And when all else fails, there’s a librarian who chases someone stealing a book.
Images are included in this anthology. Most are created by the writers. Local artist, Jimmy Peña, created “Typing Hands.” The cover plays off an eye chart as we bring local writers into sharp 20/20 focus in the year 2020.
Learn more about the anthology OR BUY NOW
You're Invited!
Join us for the virtual launch for Corpus Christi Writers 2020. This will be held Thursday, September 24 at 7 PM. Link and more info to follow
Literary Reading Series
We're pleased and excited to announce that the Corpus Christi Literary Reading Series has chosen Corpus Christi Writers 2020 as their fall selection.
The Corpus Christi Literary Reading Series is a grassroots organization that has been bringing well-known and emerging authors to town twice a year for more than 30 years. Featured authors have included John Updike, Lisa See, and Bret Anthony Johnston. For more information on the series go to their Facebook page, Corpus Christi Literary Reading Series, or go to their website.
This virtual event will be held Saturday, September 19 at 7 PM. Link will be provided.
Who's in CCW2020?
CCW 2020
This anthology showcases the unique voices of residents or natives of Corpus Christi, Texas. From poetry to prose, fiction to non-fiction, the writers express individuality and diversity while also articulating universal themes. The writers are:
ABRAR AHMAD
ALAN BERECKA
ALISA HOPE WAGNER
ALLYSON LARKIN
ANDREA PEREZ
AZRAEL MONTOYA
BOB JAMES
CAROL MAYS
CHARLES ETHERIDGE
CHRISTIAN GARDUNO
COFFFEEE CAT
CYNTHIA BREEDING
DAVID CARPENTER
DEVORAH FOX
DYLAN LOPEZ
ELISSA BREWSTER
ESTHER BONILLA READ
FREDRICK GONZALES
GERALD BECKMAN
GRANT MAYS
HEATHER TWARDOWSKI
HELENE GUERRA
JACQUELINE GONZALEZ
JASON BOND
JAVIER VILLARREAL
JIM MCCUTCHON
JIMMY WILDEN
JO ANN SANDERSON
JOEL ORTIZ
JOHN MEZA
JON GREGORY
JOSEPH WILSON
JOSHUA ESPITIA
JOSHUA HAMILTON
JUAN PEREZ
KAREN CLINE-TARDIFF
KENNETH BENNIGHT
LEE HULTIN
LOU ELLA HICKMAN
MANDY ASHCRAFT
MATT ROSAS
MONA SCHROEDER
PAUL MCCANN
PATRICIA ALANIZ
REBECAH HALL
ROBERTA DOHSE
ROBIN CARSTENSEN
RON GEORGE
SARAH K. LENZ
SKYLAR PIERCE
TOM DIFRANCESCA
TOM MURPHY
TREV TREVINO
WILLIAM MAYS
WILLIAM WALTON
ZOE RAMOS
CCW 2020
Submission requirements
Corpus Christi Writers 2020 is no longer open for submissions.
The submission deadline was April 15, 2020
Anthology is open to natives and/or residents of the the six county Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice combined statistical area. This includes towns such as Rockport, Port Aransas, and Refugio.
WORD COUNT/PAGE COUNT: works shorter than 3000 words are preferred. Works shorter than 10 pages are preferred.
Prose or poetry is accepted.
Excerpts from longer works are acceptable
Fiction or non-fiction is accepted.
Black and white images that go along with the selection will be considered.
Nothing overtly political will be accepted. No mention of any candidate by name will be accepted. Diverse viewpoints will be accepted as long as the work is well-written and no incendiary language is used.
You may submit more than 1 work. If you submit a "longer" work (2000 words or 7 pages), you might consider submitting a shorter work too.
There is no submission fee. You will retain all rights to your works. You may be asked to revise sections of your work
Send your submission in a Word document to books@MaysPublishing.com with YOUR NAME and CCW2020 SUBMISSION in the subject line. Alternately, you can send it to williammays21@gmail.com
1st Page of your submission must include a cover page with title of your work, the author’s name as you wish it to appear in publication, author’s name (if different than publication name), contact information (email address)
Generally, communication is via email. Make sure you provide an email address that will be valid throughout 2020. If you have to change email addresses, please let us know. If we can't reach you, we may have to drop your selection from the anthology.
Please include a short biography. Also include a photo if possible. The selection can be published in CCW2020 without a photo, but a photo is required if you are to be featured in social media promotions and if you are headlined on MaysPublishing.com
The anthology will be available on Amazon, both in trade paperback and Kindle.
As compensation, you will receive a free copy of the anthology, promotion of your work, and an invitation to read at the launch party. You receive a section on MaysPublishing.com if you are included. This functions like a website. It can include links to your Amazon buy pages. You will also have the opportunity to buy additional anthology copies at a discounted rate.
Notifications of acceptance will start to go out in mid-March. However, you should receive notification that your submission has been received within a few days of you sending it. If you haven't received notification of receipt of submission, please let me know.