Call for Poems
Fall 2026
Submission Period: August 1-September 15, 2026
Guest Editor: Cathryn Cofell
“Water, water everywhere . . .” for Coleridge and for many living creatures throughout the world, there’s a desperation when it comes to water, be it scarcity, pollution or a lack of infrastructure.
But in Wisconsin, water is mostly abundant (though not always clean), shaping much of our history and economy, our tourism and recreation. Water is hard to avoid in our guest editor’s hometown, Appleton, so for this issue, she is looking for poems that are broadly inspired by this theme. From the Great Lakes to the Fox River to the backyard bird bath, from lake houses to water parks, from kissing in the rain to battling storm water runoff, how has water shaped you?
Bramble is open to poems in all styles & forms and seeks to celebrate Wisconsin poets & poetry, as part of the mission of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. For our purposes, this includes poets who live and write (a substantial portion of the year) in Wisconsin, as well as students studying in Wisconsin. If we cannot determine from your bio or mailing address whether or not this is you—we won’t be able to consider your submission.
Submission Guidelines
We welcome unsolicited submissions from Wisconsin poets* & WFOP members. Please send one submission of 1-3 poems (of any length and style) to bramble@wfop.org. Put your last name and "Bramble Submission" in the subject line. In the body of the email please include a cover letter with mailing address, poet pic, a 50 word bio, and your poems. Please do not submit poems as a separate attachment unless your poem requires special formatting (PDF preferred).
No previously published poems.
Please make only one submission to Bramble per issue.
If your work was accepted in the last issue of Bramble, we ask that you wait out an issue before you submit again.
Contributing authors and artists will receive one contributor's copy of the print issue.
If you are interested in providing original artwork for the cover, please query at bramble@wfop.org.
Rights revert to poets/contributors immediately after publication. If poems are reprinted later (in a collection or anthology), we appreciate an acknowledgement credit.
We publish twice a year — spring and fall.
Spring / Submission period: February 1-March 15 / Release Date: May 15
Fall / Submission period: August 1-September 15 / Release Date: November 15
About the Guest Editor
Cathryn Cofell
Cathryn Cofell is Appleton, Wisconsin's first poet laureate, immediate Past President of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, and co-coordinator of Poetry Unlocked, a monthly reading series named partly for their proximity to the Fox River's locks. She’s published eight books of poetry, including Stick Figure With Skirt, winner of the Main Street Rag Poetry Award. www.cathryncofell.com
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