ESSE, Ursuline Academy of Dallas' Literary Arts Magazine titled after the Latin word for "to be," is an annual compilation of student art and writing. The magazine staff works all year long to judge submissions and publish student contributions. Ursuline students from grades nine through twelve are encouraged to submit their art and literature pieces through Submission Manager. The ESSE selection staff then read the works anonymously and score them in relation to the theme of the magazine and the capacity of the piece. Pieces that receive the highest scores from the selection staff are published in the magazine. Students may continue to submit to ESSE until May 1, 2025. Anything submitted after May 1 will not be considered for the magazine.

Only current Ursuline Academy of Dallas students will be considered for publication.

The editors of ESSE have decided this year’s theme will be “Renewal.” Think of the Renaissance. While Renaissance refers to a revival of European art and literature during the 14th through 16th centuries, it translates directly to “renewal” or “rebirth.” We want to see how you have grown or changed—how you’ve experienced renewal. Think about how you define renewal. Renewal doesn’t have to mean getting rid of the old to make room for the new. It can be something as small as a shift in perspective or a newly discovered interest. It could mean taking inspiration from the past and applying it in new and interesting ways to the future. Renewal can also mean letting go of the past, finding closure, and living in the present. Think of a time you experienced personal growth. How did this experience shape you? The editors of ESSE want to see what renewal means to you. We encourage you to experiment with style and voice, taking inspiration from past, present, and future. Any and all explorations of renewal are welcome in ESSE this year.

This theme was chosen to encompass a wide variety of artwork and written pieces. Please do not let this theme be a restriction, but instead let it act as an inspiration. We want to know where you land. What you discover. Any and all explorations of renewal are welcome in ESSE this year.

• Esse accepts all types of work, including but not limited to poetry, short stories, one act plays, memoirs, drawings, paintings, photographs, and collages.
• You may submit as many pieces as you would like at a time. However, each piece should be submitted separately. (Please do not submit multiple pieces on the same document.)
• Please check that your name is not included on the document. Our readers should not know the author of the piece when considering a work for publication.
• If you want to be published, we MUST publish your work to your name. No pseudonyms, nom de plumes, or anonymous submissions
• If compelled, we encourage you to give a short description of what inspired your piece in the comments your submission.
• The status of your submission may remain “received” for a long period of time. Please do not be concerned by this. Due to our process for compiling the magazine, we will not know which pieces are accepted until late spring or early summer.
• Tip for submitting art: You may take a photo of your art piece and upload the jpg to Submission Manager.
• Once your writing is submitted, the advisers and editors reserve the right to edit for grammar and readability.

• This year Esse is hosting a cover art contest. If you are interested in having your artwork or photograph piece considered for the cover of the magazine, please submit your art piece under the “artwork” genre. Then write a note in the comments box that you would like to submit this for the contest.

For more information about Esse, please email our editor-in-chief at 25lobrien@ursulinedallas.org.

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1. Fill in all of your contact information.
2. Fill in the title of the work you are submitting.
3. Use the browse button to find the file on your computer that you would like to submit. Select the file and click on the open button. Your file will then appear in the “file” field.
4. If you wish you can fill in the comments field with any additional information you’d like to send, then click submit.
5. You will then have the option to review your information and confirm that it is correct. Hit continue and you’re done.