Beautiful Little Fools will be a stunning hardcover anthology celebrating and interrogating the glamour, obsession, and decadence of the Gilded Age, inspired by the centenary of The Great Gatsby. This collection seeks to honor the era’s grandeur while uncovering the shadows beneath its glittering surface.
For the first time since our Artist Collectives series, we are excited to consider publishing multiple poems from individual writers. Each poet may submit up to three works, and we will read all three before making our decisions. We are especially eager to see prose poems and stream-of-consciousness pieces that capture the vibrant chaos and introspection of the time.
This anthology will be co-edited by myself, and Karen Pierce Gonzalez. Together, we aim to curate a collection that not only celebrates this iconic era but also resonates with the complexities of its themes in today’s world.
Start your year with an acceptance! We will be open for submissions throughout February, and the anthology is scheduled for release in late 2025.
What We’re Looking For:
Potential Ideas to Explore: We welcome poetry that reimagines and responds to the motifs and themes of The Great Gatsby, the Gilded Age, and their enduring legacy. This anthology invites ekphrastic works and creative interpretations centered around these interconnected ideas:
The American Dream
Reflections on its pursuit, transformation, and the ensuing disillusionment across eras. What does the dream mean today, and who is excluded from its promise?
Wealth and Class
Explorations of the intoxicating allure of wealth, its power to shape identities, and its corrupting influence. Delve into the sharp divides of old money, new money, and no money.

Love, Illusion, and Obsession
The complex dynamics of love, desire, and obsession, as seen in Gatsby’s fixation on Daisy. Paralleled with modern experiences, how do illusions of love shape our reality?
Morality and Ethics
Considerations of the moral ambiguities of Fitzgerald’s characters and the ethical dilemmas they faced. How do these dilemmas resonate with today’s world?
Identity and Perception
Examinations of the crafted identities, societal masks, and the quest for authenticity. Who are we when stripped of our performance?
Isolation and Loneliness
Behind the vibrant social lives and hedonistic excess lies profound loneliness. Explore this tension in the context of both the Jazz Age and modern life.
The Role of Women
Analysis of the evolving—or stagnant—roles of women in society, inspired by characters like Daisy and Jordan. What has changed, and what hasn’t?
Colours as Symbolism
Draw from Fitzgerald’s symbolic use of colours—green for hope, white for illusion, gold for wealth and decay, grey for emptiness—and explore what these mean in your poetic landscape.
Materialism and Consumerism
A critique of the material excess of the Jazz Age, paralleled with today’s consumer culture. What drives the human urge to possess, and at what cost?
Parties and Extravagance
The fleeting, hollow joy of excess and celebration. What lies beneath the glittering surface of social revelry?
Eyes and Vision
Observation, morality, and the silent witnesses to human ambition. Consider the watchful eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg as a symbol of accountability—or its absence.
Excess and Decay
Wealth’s glittering exterior and the moral and physical rot beneath it. Reflect on the balance between abundance and its inevitable downfall.
Social Stratification
The divisions of old money, new money, and no money persist, both in Fitzgerald’s world and our own. How do these barriers shape society and our relationships?
Cultural Movements
Reflections on the Jazz Age, Harlem Renaissance, and shifting gender, racial, and societal norms. How do these movements inform our present understanding of culture and progress?
Let these themes inspire you to create work that dazzles like the Gilded Age yet reveals the truths beneath its gold veneer. Whether ekphrastic poetry or imaginative reinterpretations, your words should evoke the timelessness of Gatsby while resonating with the complexities of today.
What to Submit:
Submit up to 3 poems per writer. Poems can be interconnected or stand-alone. Combined, submissions should not exceed 150 lines.
Prose poems and stream-of-consciousness pieces are welcome as part of your submission.
All work must be previously unpublished.
Format:
- Submit your poems in a single document (Word).
- Use standard fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt size.
- File name format:
[LastName]_BLF_Submission
.
Bio:
- Include a short third-person bio (max 75 words) in your submission document.
Eligibility:
- We accept only unpublished work. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Submissions Fee:
- We ask that you make a £3 donation here.
Submission Period:
- Open from February 1 to February 28, 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.
Response Time:
- All poets will be notified of decisions by 01.04.25.
Why We Request Submission Fees
As a small independent publisher with no financial backer or benefactor, we have little choice but to request submission fees. We keep these fees as low as possible, and every penny is poured directly back into our work. This allows us to:
- Cover the running costs of our website.
- Pay for design and proofing costs.
- Utilize social media marketing and planning tools.
- Maintain Zoom for virtual events and workshops.
- Offer affordable prices for our collections to readers.
No individual profits from your fees; they sustain The Broken Spine’s mission of supporting poets and publishing compelling, artistic work. By donating, you enable all of this to continue—and give yourself the opportunity to join our Broken Spine Family.
Additional Information
- Hardcover Anthology: Selected poems will be published in a beautifully bound hardcover edition, designed to be a timeless celebration of the Gilded Age and a cornerstone of literary excellence.
- Contributor Copies: While this is not a paying market, contributors will be able to purchase the anthology at a discounted contributor rate. 50% of the cover price, plus P&P.
- Multiple Poems per Writer: For this collection, we are considering publishing several poems from individual writers whose work aligns with the anthology’s themes and vision.
- Accessibility and Originality: We appreciate a balance of ornate and relatable language, vivid imagery, and authentic voices. Avoid abstraction or offense for its own sake.
- Diversity of Voices: We encourage submissions from poets of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
- No X Links: Please note, we will not publicise this anthology on X (formerly Twitter). Any links to that platform in your bio or correspondence will be ignored.
Let your words dazzle and haunt, shimmer and sting. Join this magnificent collection, co-edited myself and Karen Pierce Gonzalez, and let your poetry reflect the glamour, chaos, and heartbreak of the Gilded Age.