Laurels

Laurels: Tanka Society of America Online Journal

Laurels is the twice-yearly online publication of the Tanka Society of America, launched in 2024, for members only (nonmembers and members are welcome to submit to our print publication, Ribbons). Each issue of Laurels focuses on an announced theme, with members serving as guest editors. Layout and design is by Michael Dylan Welch, with images sourced from Unsplash. Laurels invites individual tanka only, and does not include sequences, tanka prose, essays, or reviews, and will accept no more than one poem per member per issue. We invite members to submit up to three unpublished tanka for each issue. Please, no simultaneous or multiple submissions (submit only once).

Submission Deadlines

Laurels submission deadlines are in-hand no later than the following dates:

• January 31

• June 30

Each Laurels guest editor will typically respond to all submissions within one month of each submission deadline.

Laurels #5 Submission Guidelines for members only

• Guest editor: Tom Clausen

• Theme: Travel

As the Indian novelist Anita Desai has said, “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” Whether we travel on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, train, boat, or plane, exploring broadens our horizons and imprints feelings that deserve documenting and sharing! Write some tanka celebrating travel experiences or places you’ve visited . . . or perhaps a misadventure, a memorable meeting with a stranger, or something you felt being in limbo while going alone to a distant place. Think about your travel experiences and let your tanka bring out feelings and memories waiting to be written about.

Submissions (TSA members only): Please submit by January 31, 2026 using our online submission form. The form should work correctly for nearly everyone, but if it does not work for you, please try accessing it using a different device. If it still does not work correctly for you, please email Tom Clausen at tpc2@cornell.edu or submit by postal mail to Tom Clausen, 1421 Slaterville Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 USA.

How to Join TSA