The Words Faire

TWF

ISSUE iii (September 7th - November 1st: Incertitude)

The Exhibition Publication – Issue III

Incertitude: noun – meaning: a state of being unsure, doubtful, or insecure about something, or a state of instability, perceived or real

Alternate Meanings:

• The absence of sureness or confidence in the truth of certain beliefs, principles, or situations,
• A sense of doubt regarding the future or promised outcomes, or 
• Distrust in claims made by people or human institutions.

The word ‘uncertainty’ has long been preempted by mathematicians, statisticians, scientists, and investment specialists to predict the probability of outcomes that deviate from what was projected as calculated expectation. For example, a car speedometer reading 65 miles per hour has a 10 percent risk of uncertainty, meaning that driving within a posted 65 miles per hour zone might warrant a traffic ticket (try explaining this variant to law enforcement).

Although a less commonly employed word, incertitude is used in literature, poetry, and the visual arts to convey a nuanced and often deeply personal sense of uncertainty that, in an artistic work, lacks numerical predictability. Incertitude transfers observation, experience, and feelings to convey the emotional and sensory impact of doubt and distrust within a chosen medium.

Shakespeare famously conveyed incertitude within the lines of Hamlet where he injected the words, ‘to be or not to be, that is the question’. In a more contemporary example, Toni Morrison powerfully employed incertitude in her novel, Beloved, as the story’s protagonist, Sethe, wrestles with guilt-filled alternate realities as the ‘ghost’ of Beloved, a toddler daughter she may have murdered to save from slavery, competes with the later arrival of a young adult ‘Beloved’.

In her moving poem Good Bones, Maggie Smith struggles with incertitude as she tries sheltering her children from the world’s unpredictable horrors:

For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird. For every

loved child, a child broken, bagged, sunk in a lake. Life is short

and the world is at least half terrible, and for every kind stranger,

there is one who would break you, though I keep this from my

children …..

Visual artists are not strangers to adding incertitude to their works. Vincent Van Gogh classically vented his tragic battles with self-doubt and emotional turmoil in the bold strokes of bright color, creating translations of scenes that appeared to early viewers as out-of-focus with reality. Contemporary artist Paul Bowels characteristically uses blurred human figures within his paintings of nighttime urban settings to suggest the incertitude and loneliness of modern life

Editor's Note: 

"As a child I was taught the God had a plan for me. If followed, that plan promised untold but certain blessings. But the catch to successful plan implementation was my faithful and unrelenting implementation of this undelineated blueprint. As I aged and reckoned with my human inconsistencies, I faced a new and complex concept: incertitude. Believing in the certainties of ‘the plan’ made critical thinking an optional activity; however, ceding thoughtfulness made life not a whit easier. Respectful doubt entered my vernacular and painted my being with the wonderful concepts of ‘what if?’"

Michael Isham, a later life writer, resides in Georgia with his husband and three needy canines. Following an environmental engineering career, Michael completed undergraduate courses in creative writing at Clayton State University. Michael views his published stories as his life's legacy.

  GUIDELINES

- Fiction: 150 to 3,000 words, Times New Roman, 12 Point font, Double-spaced. Attached in a Docx or PDF.

- Poetry: 1 - 3 Poems per submission, Times New Roman, 12 Point font, Double-spaced. Attached in a Docx or PDF.

- Art & Photography: 1-5 High Quality Images in JPEG or PNG Format

Simultaneous submissions are allowed, and no previously published works.

Please include the following with each submission:  

• A 100-150 word third-person bio, to be used as the contributor’s note should your work be accepted.
• Social media handles (Twitter and Instagram), if you’d like to be promoted online.
• An optional cover letter to introduce the work, yourself, provide some context to your submission; please note that this in no way impacts the likelihood of publication.

All submissions will be considered for publication in upcoming issues of The Faire or in our weekly publication of The Exhibition which highlights innovative new works. 

We encourage you to take chances; try something new. Experimental formats are welcomed. From literary fiction to something else entirely, we’re looking for any genre, as long as its apparent “ordinary-ness” is not what it seems.

- The Words Faire is an independent publishing company based out of Dayton, Ohio. Made by creatives for creatives, our goal is to elevate breakout authors, artists and more who need to get their foot in the door of their chosen creative industry. We aim to provide a platform for those who want to reach an audience through our collection of curated worldwide creative excellence. 

- TWF does not discriminate based on the background, education, or identity of those who send work to us. All work is evaluated solely on merit, without regard for any other consideration whatsoever. We encourage those of all backgrounds and experiences to send in their work, and look for writing exploring the range of the human condition.  

- AI tools may not be used to generate the actual text that appears in our publication. If AI-assisted tools (such as dictation software, spellcheck, or grammar check) are used, they must be employed in the same way an author might use a traditional writing aid (such as a dictionary or thesaurus), and disclosed, not as a substitute.

If you have any questions about the requirements or specifications of the contest review the guidelines on thewordsfaire.com, contact us at thewordsfaire@gmail.com or message us on Instagram HERE.

The Words Faire Press invites submissions of ALL digital art and photography to be featured alongside literary pieces in our Words Faire daily digital publication called 'The Exhibition'' and other open publication opportunities, which collectively generates monthly audiences of thousands around the globe. We are looking for visual works that enhance and complement the written word—whether through abstract, interpretive, or narrative-driven pieces.   

View some of the work published on 'The Exhibition' at thewordsfaire.com/words.    

Submission Guidelines:

• Format: Digital art and photography only. Please provide only high quality images. 
• Rights: All rights remain with the artist. By submitting, you grant us permission to publish your work in our digital publication.
• Theme: Open to any artistic interpretations, though preference may be given to pieces that resonate with the literary tone or themes of the selected writing.

We celebrate all forms of artistic expression and look forward to showcasing your work!