I am still making order out of chaos by reinvention.
-John Le Carre, British author

The reinvention of daily life means marching off the edge of our maps.
-Bob Black, American anarchist and essayist

I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.
-Henry Rollins, spoken word artist, lead singer of Black Flag and Rollins band

Last month held our first literature contest in partnership with The Muse Writers Center. Our call to writers prompted poetry submissions, and of the five finalists, the winner was chosen by guest editor and renowned local poet Tim Seibles. The contest was the first of a series aimed at promoting literature and celebration of the Seven Cities.

The prompt:

This month our call is for creative non-fiction essays, and our deadline is October 16. The theme, as the above quotes suggest, is reinvention. Here at AltDaily we have had a hell of a year and survived a lot of tough hits by growing into what we’re supposed to be. We left behind our rocky beginnings as 24SevenCities and emerged as a new brand with a new creative vision and reinvigorated passion for this area and what we do.

As human beings we all reinvent ourselves constantly. Each time we make decisions for ourselves–as banal as choosing an outfit or as life-altering as choosing a new career–we ask ourselves, who am I? With this in mind, compose an essay of non-fiction that tells of re-invention.

Open to writers living or working in the Seven Cities. No cover letters, introductory notes, CVs, lists of previous publications. Just send us your strongest work in response to this prompt. Essays should be no longer than 1,200 words. One essay per entrant, please. Include name and contact information (phone, e-mail) on each page. Submissions should be sent to essaycontest@24sevencities.com. All submissions via e-mail only. Responses in 4 to 6 weeks.

The initial selection process will be by AltDaily editor Hannah Serrano, who will narrow the field to five finalists. Of those the winner will be chosen by guest editor and best-selling author Janine Latus.

About the editor:

Janine Latus is the author of If I Am Missing or Dead: a sister’s story of love, murder and liberation, which made the New York Times’, the Sunday Times of London’s and the Toronto Globe and Mail’s bestseller lists and has been translated into five languages. Her essays have appeared in O, the Oprah magazine; Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Parents and other magazines, and have aired on public radio’s Marketplace. She’s at work on a novel.