Dead Forever is the second Grateful Dead themed poetry anthology currently open for submissions of poems inspired by the Grateful Dead and related music projects. They are a paying market. You can read more about what they are up to, what they are looking for, and specific call details in my interview with editor D.L Lang below.

HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about the Dead Forever anthology. 

LANG: Dead Forever is the sequel to the 2022 anthology Poetry is Dead: An Inclusive Anthology of Deadhead Poetry edited by P.W. Covington who has been busy bringing it to the lot at concerts, and it has been well received. He also presented on it at the Southwest Popular Culture Association Conference in 2023. D.L Lang had a poem included in that volume and he tapped her to edit this one which will be released in 2025. It is meant to bring the Deadhead community together whether they became fans of the Warlocks/Grateful Dead in the 1960s or all the way up to today with Dead & Company, whether they saw the band in the Haight during the acid tests or this summer at the Sphere, or just adore their albums. It’s meant to be a celebration of this band and the beauty of the music and Deadhead community.

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience? 

LANG: Anybody who loves the music of the Grateful Dead–really anyone who digs the whole 1960s hippie/beat/counterculture scene whether they lived through it or younger folks who find their soul vibing with the modern day incarnation and  carrying on the countercultural traditions. I’ve received some pretty awesome submissions thus far.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for? 

LANG: We are accepting a wide and inclusive range of poetry in any style from all generations of deadheads. The book will be limited to 80 poets and 250 pages, so send your best work! If you aren’t sure, submit anyways! Please note that this is not an anthology about death, murder, or mourning–it’s about a band. There’s been some confusion with some of the submissions. Certainly, we welcome elegies to Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter, Pigpen, or other relevant cultural figures associated with the band like Bill Walton, of course. 

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in? 

LANG: More from the younger crowd of fans who experienced the Dead with John Mayer. Poems from folks who saw the Grateful Dead in the Haight, were at the acid tests with Kesey, or even out in the crowd at Woodstock. Poems from folks who followed the band across the country in the 70s/80s. Looking for a good representative mix of demographics, geography, lineups, and generations. 

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals/publishers?

LANG: City Lights, Alien Buddha Press, Fevers of the Mind, Maintenant, People’s Tribune, Vagabond Books, Cowboy Jamboree, Kallatumba, Moonstone, Partisan Press, Colossus

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of working on the anthology?

LANG: Having the honor of reading all of these poems. Seeing all the creative ways that the deadhead subculture interprets and experiences the music, the band, and the community. Being pleasantly surprised when a poet I respect submits something. 

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions? 

LANG: DeadForeverAnthology@gmail.com

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you? 

LANG: DeadForeverAnthology@gmail.com

• SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 1, 2024 
• THEME(S): Any poems inspired by the Grateful Dead, Dead & Co, The Dead, Dead and Company, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jerry Garcia Band, and any other spinoff groups from the band’s inception to the present day, ekphrastic poems from Dead songs, romanticizing the band’s history, meeting members of the band, how the music has impacted your life, the Haight, the acid tests, where beats and deadheads intersect, meeting members of the band, elegies for band members, unusual places where the Dead have musically haunted your life, random encounters with fellow deadheads in the wild, trippy experiences at concerts, hanging with deadhead community, why you love this band, a huge milestone in your life where the Grateful Dead were your soundtrack, etc. Not limited to this. If you aren’t sure, send it in anyways, we may love it!
• FORMAT:  .docx preferred but copy/paste into email is ok, include third person bio and mailing address, manuscript will be formatted as 12 point Trebuchet MS. Any style of poetry from free verse to prose poetry to more traditional forms welcome. Please include a sentence or two in your bio about why you like the Grateful Dead, how you got into them, favorite albums, etc. If it is an ekphrastic poem inspired by a certain song, concert, or band member, please note that in your submission if it isn’t glaringly obvious.
• SUBMISSION FEE: None 
• PAYMENT: $20 USD honorarium paid by paypal or cashapp, and three paperback copies
• AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: Will acknowledge receipt within a couple weeks with final decision closer to November.
• SUBMISSION METHOD: Email: deadforeveranthology@gmail.com
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes, and will reprint so long as the poet has permission. Please note where first published if this is the case, so that we can give proper credit, and readers can go check out those publishers, too.
• FORMS: Poetry, any style from free form to more traditional forms to prose poetry, any creative interpretation of the Grateful Dead as a theme. 
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook (Deadhead Poetry), Facebook (Hercules Publishing)

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