We all grapple for moments of respite in our current world, whether a road trip to a warm place to escape the cold, or just a quiet moment with a warm cuppa or a secret bowl of midnight ice cream. While MoonLit Getaway might sound like a metaphysical location — a realm of refuge, apart from the worries of everyday life, an imaginary vacation place for the world-weary — it is actually just a click away. Sharing new artwork, fiction, and poetry every two weeks open access online, with a print anthology released every September (aptly named Harvest Moon), Moonlit Getaway has created a haven for both creators and consumers of what’s new in literary arts and more.
“MoonLit Getaway aims to showcase remarkable artwork, fiction, and poetry that atypical literary journals might overlook, says Executive Editor Brandon Nadeau. “We favor writing that demonstrates an understanding of literary convention but doesn’t always conform to it. We provide a platform for new, emerging, and established creators from around the world, publishing all genres, but favoring works that demonstrate an understanding of literary techniques. We also publish all non-video artwork mediums, including painting, photography, drawing, sculpture and digital art.” In addition to all of that, Moonlit Getaway has a blog that features book reviews, interviews, and more.
Masthead Expertise
The staff behind the scenes bring a collective expertise to the table, led by Nadeau [pictured], a Canadian writer and the founder of MoonLit Getaway. His fiction has appeared in various literary journals, and he is currently working on a short story collection inspired by his time as a frontline soldier in Afghanistan. He has a degree in business management and has studied creative writing. While he is also filling the role of fiction editor, MoonLit Getaway is currently recruiting to fill this role.
Also on the masthead are Art Editor Jennifer Trippett, a lifelong artist with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Arts and experience in curation of art and writing for Bailey’s Beads Magazine; Poetry Editor Olive Scott, a poet-writer from Toronto who holds an MFA in Writing and a BA in Classical Civilizations; Associate Poetry Editor Jacinta Manna who has a BA in English and Psychology and is currently studying Interior Design at the University of Alberta; and Content Editor Jace DeAngelo, who holds a Bachelor of Creative Writing and a certificate in editing and publishing.
A Careful Curation
For those looking to submit works, Nadeau explains, “We receive submissions via a form on our website. Regular submissions are read and selected for publication by the appropriate category editors. The Executive Editor reviews and approves each selected piece before publication. We aim to respond to each submission within two months.”
This process results in carefully curated and compelling artwork, fiction, and poetry from diverse contributors. “Our content is meant to enrapture our audience with excitement, wonder, and intrigue,” Nadeau adds. Some recent contributors include Michael Mirolla, Elysia Rourke, Jake Bienvenue, Albert Tucher, Sophie Kearing, and Shome Dasgupta.
Start-up Advice and Future Plans
Reflecting on the start-up process for a new publication, Nadeau advises, “I can’t overstate the importance of systems. A literary journal receives and processes a great deal of information. Effective systems save hours of time, ensure consistency, and keep a team from being overwhelmed.”
Protecting the staff from burnout is critical, as Nadeau has some well-laid plans for the future of MoonLit Getaway, “We will continue building our audience as we seek to master the basics of running a literary journal. In time, we will introduce regular contests, a system for subscriptions, and a shop that sells merchandise and perhaps some services. Ultimately, we’d like to implement a business model that allows us to pay our contributors.”
For artists, writers, and readers looking for a place of refuge from whatever overwhelms them, a quick trip to MoonLit Getaway might just be the ticket. In fact, it might even be better than ice cream.
Correction: An earlier version of this feature included an incorrect list of contributor names. This has been corrected as of Thursday, March 6, 2025 06:05 AM EST.
