 Send in the Clowns: an Ekphrastic Circus The rise of the circus over 200 years past inspired an incredibly vast and varied world of visual art depictions. Painters were attracted to the rich array of themes and interesting characters of the circus. The colourful props, epic entertainment, harrowing feats, and beautiful women were irresistible subjects for many artists. The circus, of course, also had its darker side, its underbelly crawling with strange power exchange relationships, the display of differently abled human beings for profit, abuse of animals and women, and more. This colourful tapestry of psychology and spectacle was and is fertile ground for artists and writers, too. The new contest at The Ekphrastic Review is Send in the Clowns. We have curated more than NINETY fascinating paintings and other artworks, chosen to invite your writing to unexpected places. You can write poetry, flash fiction, or both, inspired by any of the artworks in Book One or Book Two. Be inspired by the characters and scenes in these paintings, by the art itself or the artists, or the subjects of the art, in any way that you want to interpret them. The purchase of one ebook of circus images serves as entry fee for the contest ($10CAD or approx. $7USD). You can choose book one or book two or both. These images can serve your ekphrastic practice through the contest and beyond, providing endless inspiration. We will publish a selection of finalists in The Ekphrastic Review. One poetry entry and one flash fiction entry will be declared winner in that category. The winning poet and winning flash fiction author will receive $100CAD. Rules 1. Write stories or poems inspired in any way by any of the artworks in the Send in the Clowns ebooks. Art can be from book one, book two, or both. 2. Submit up to three poems or flash fiction entries. You can enter as many times as you wish, with three entries for every $10 entry purchase. (For example, if you get both books one and two, you can enter six works.) 3. Poems and flash fiction 1000 max including title. 4. Deadline is midnight, eastern standard time, February 20, 2025. 5. Submit entries to [email protected]. 6. Put your entries in a Word document, together. Don't put your name etc. on the document. 7. Include a 100 word bio with your submission. Include your order number with your submission as well. 8. Include CIRCUS CONTEST in the subject line when submitting. 9. Please include the name and artist of the painting that inspired the work, noted along with every poem or story. 10. Please tell your friends and peers about this fabulous contest. We can't wait to be inundated with amazing circus stories and poetry! 
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