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Enjoy catching up with the latest News from NewPages.

New Lit Mags added to the NewPages Guide to Literary Magazines in April 2021

Back from hiatus, Agave Magazine is a print publication showcasing contemporary art, literature, and photography for a modern readership. Ideal submissions develop subjects thoroughly giving us all the essentials—no more, no less. From editorial pieces to mixed genre, their contributors share insights on their creative processes alongside published pieces.

Founded in 2020, Coastal Shelf is a quarterly online literary magazine. Contemporary and eclectic, they crave close attention paid to language and a ‘larger takeaway’/analysis given to the events/themes. They love pieces with wittiness (but not light verse), quirkiness and layers. They also dig interesting uses of history and science.

The Lascaux Review, pronounced Las-coe, features fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction of literary quality. Lascaux has published work by Philip Appleman, Hélène Cardona, Joseph Fasano, Tony Hoagland, Lee Martin, Maggie Smith, Robley Wilson, and many other poets and writers. Annual contests are conducted in poetry, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, and short fiction.

Founded in 2017, MoonPark Review is a quarterly online journal publishing compelling, imaginative short prose, including flash (fiction/nonfiction) and prose poetry. Thirteen prose pieces (or thirteen writers) are featured each quarter, accompanied with original illustrations.

Nixes Mate is unafraid of punctuation; semicolons don’t frighten them. Not even a little bit. Since 2016, they have been featuring small-batch artisanal literature, created by writers who use all 26 letters of the alphabet, and then some. There are many paths to poetry. Walk with them one line at a time.

Okay Donkey likes the odd, the off-kilter, and the just plain weird. They also like the surreal, experimental, and the genre-bending. They strive to uplift and amplify underrepresented voices and always strongly encourage BIPOC and LGBT+ folks to submit their work.

Also added are print literary magazine Bacopa Literary Review, Blue Collar Review, Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry, Walloon Writers Review, and Workers Write! and online journals Decolonial Passage, Flare Journal, and WhimsicalPoet/WhimsicalArt.

Don’t forget to stop by our Guide to Literary Magazines to see the newly updated listings and remember we also have our Big List with even more journals!

New Letters Award Winners

woman looking at a poster for a ballet performance

In the Winter/Spring 2021 issue of New Letters, there is a whole section dedicated to award winners.

Editor’s Choice Award
“Indigent” by Elizabeth Robinson

Patricia Cleary Miller Award for Poetry
“Late Song: Time” and “The Art of the Deal” by Mark Wagenaar

Robert Day Award for Fiction
“Lobu Hoteru” by Jacob R. Weber

Conger Beasley Jr. Award for Nonfiction
“Joan” by Rebecca Young

Visit New Letters‘ website to grab a copy of this issue and learn about each of these contests.

Unique Upcycled Notebooks Made From Vintage Books

Photograph of upcycled notebooks handcrafted from vintage booksBookMark Books refashions discarded and unwanted vintage books into lovely, sturdy, unique, blank notebooks. Made with upcycled, vintage covers; recycled interior paper; and hand-waxed thread, they are excellent tools for writers, artists, musicians, teachers, or anyone who loves beautiful books and the act of making their mark. A notebook is an essential tool for writers and artists, and having something beautiful, handmade, and environmentally friendly to use when an idea strikes makes creating even more satisfying. Visit me on on Instagram @bookmark_books for pictures of what I’m working on and a link to my Etsy shop.

Join Poor Yorick for Their Monthly Reading Series

skull on black and pink backgroundPoor Yorick is continuing their monthly reading series with a virtual open mic and fireside chat! This event features a sneak preview of upcoming special issue in honor of National Poetry Month, “The Poet’s Mask.” Several contributors will present their work on the theme of masks and masking on April 29.

Contact Brianna Paris ([email protected]) for a Microsoft Teams invitation.

“The Poet’s Mask” will be published on Friday, April 30 on Poor Yorick‘s website.

This event is brought to you by the editorial team at Poor Yorick: A Journal of Rediscovery, which is the online literary publication of Western Connecticut State University’s M.F.A. Program. The journal publishes poems, stories, essays, photo essays, and other innovative works about rediscovery, the lost and the found—what we bury, and what we dig up. The editor will be on hand at the open mic to talk submissions, too; if this sounds like your kind of publication, contact us!

Sponsor Spotlight :: Neon: A Literary Magazine

black and white photograph looking up at a wind turbineNeon: A Literary Magazine is a tiny biannual journal and chapbook press. It is one of the longest-running independent literary magazines in the UK which focuses on slipstream fiction, poetry, and artwork. They publish work that is fantastical, surreal, and which crosses the boundaries between science fiction, horror, and literary fiction.

Neon publishes in print and a range of digital formats. They allow you to set your own price for a digital copy. When you purchase a print subscription (they ship to anywhere in the world!), you can addon on of their chapbooks, too. Subscribe today!

Plus, if you’re a writer, Neon is currently open to submissions. The theme of the next issue will be “Cities.” They are a paying market.

Drop by their listing on NewPages to learn more.

West Trade Review Volume 12 Available for Preorder

West Trade Review Volume 12 cover

West Trade Review, formerly Encore Literary Arts Magazine, is accepting preorders for its 12th print issue due out in May of this year.

This issue features fiction by Sophie Nau, Reshmi Hebbar, Lex Chilson; poetry by Mercury-Marvin Sunderland, Tesa Flores, Hunter Boone, Stephanie Dickinson; plus art, interviews, and reviews. Check out their preview and don’t forget to order a copy today.

Plus, don’t forget to swing by their listing on NewPages to learn more about them.

April 2021 eLitPak :: Enjoy the Complete Works of Clifford Brooks

Screenshot of Clifford Brooks Poetry Collections February 2021 eLitPak Flier
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The Complete Works of Clifford Brooks Now Available

Get this 3 volume set personalized, signed, and delivered for only $89.00. (Further discounts can be negotiated on larger orders.) For more information, contact the poet directly at: [email protected].

View the full April 2021 NewPages eLitPak newsletter here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get weekly updates on lit mags, presses, writing programs, literary events, and more along with the monthly eLitPak newsletters.

The Masters Review Announces Inaugural Chapbook Award Finalists & Winner

The Masters Review has announced the finalists and winner of their inaugural Chapbook Award judged by Steve Almond. The winning manuscript is Masterplans by Nick Almeida. His chapbook is set to be published in the fall.

Finalists were Deep Blue by Jay Allison and Oscillations by Tanya Perkins.

Don’t forget their Anthology Contest closes to entries on March 28 at midnight PST.

Happy 5th Anniversary Leaping Clear

Leaping Clear - logoCongrats to Leaping Clear! The online lit mag is celebrating its fifth anniversary this spring.

With this special occasion, the masthead is welcoming in new editors Simon Boes and Jen Schmidt.

Readers can celebrate with the magazine by checking out their brand new Spring/Summer 2021 issue. Instead of the usual format, this issue is published as a weekly Showcase Feature which will highlight one contributor from the past five years each week until the 2021 Fall issue is released in September. This week’s showcase is “Call and Response” by author and artist Deborah Kennedy.

The Common: 2021 Festival of Debut Authors

Celebrate ten years of publishing new voices with The Common‘s special events team. Hop on Zoom on March 25 at 7PM EST and join Ama Codjoe, Sara Elkamel, LaToya Faulk, Ben Shattuck, Angela Qian, and Ghassan Zeineddine for readings and conversation. The event will raise scholarship funds for The Common‘s Young Writers Program. Learn more and register for the reading via the journal’s website.

Read for Months To Years

Quarterly journal Months To Years is currently looking for volunteer nonfiction and poetry readers. The work in Months To Years explores death, loss, and grief.

A degree in creative writing or English is helpful but not required. Gain experience working with a small nonprofit lit mag. Apply via their Submittable by April 1.

March 2021 eLitPak :: LitNuts – Connecting Indie Authors with Booklovers

screenshot of LitNuts March 2021 eLitPak Flier
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LitNuts eNewsletter: Connecting Indie Authors with Booklovers

Special Offers for Authors: Give us a try with a book promotion for the introductory price of only $10 with discount code NewPages10. Fantasy authors: Feature your book in a special March 25 fantasy issue for only $5 with discount code Fantasy5 (deadline 3/22/21). Visit our site for more information.

View the full March 2021 eLitPak Newsletter.

SRPR 2020 Editors’ Prize Winners

Opening the latest issue of Spoon River Poetry Review are the winners of the 2020 SRPR Editors’ Prize. The placing poems are introduced by the final judge, Austin Smith.

First Place
“Disbelieving These Deaths, I Go to Sit by Lake Huron” by David Groff

Runners-up
“Wonders of the World” by Todd Copeland
“Field Notes: To Excavate Beyond Despair” by Erica Sofer Bodwell

Honorable Mentions
“You can have it all” by Kelsey Taylor
“In the Exhaust of an Outboard  Motor, I Talk to Myself and to Grandpa” by Cody Smith
“Dear Crossed, Did You Know That You’re Not Your Body?” by Gabriel Dozal

Find a copy of this issue at SRPR‘s website.

Split Lip Magazine & Barrelhouse Team Up for Free Virtual Reading

Purple background with textLiterary magazines Split Lip and Barrelhouse have joined forces to bring you “A Celebration of Print” in honor of their latest print issues. Join them March 18 at 8PM EST and enjoy hearing Alejandro Varela, Amy Lee Lillard, Jaya Wagle, Monica Brashears, Patrick Mullen-Coyoy, Shane McCrae, SJ Sindu, and Yamilette Vizcaíno read from their work.

There will also be issue-themed cocktails and mocktails along with a prize drawing!

You do need to register, but the tickets are free. You have to claim your ticket by 9PM EST on March 17 to be eligible for their prize raffle (must also be virtually present to win).

Writing Tips for the Apocalypse

Runestone Journal logoHaving a hard time writing during what feels like the apocalypse? On Runestone Journal‘s blog, Blake Butenhoff offers, “Tips For Writing In the Apocalypse.” He brings writers three funny, lighthearted tips to get those apocalyptic writing juices flowing: “Know your audience’s needs and time constraints,” “Find other ways to journal,” and “History will have the last say, so do it anyway.”

At this point, I would maybe ignore his advice to “start using clay tablets” if you run out of paper, but find “There are no rules anymore,” to be pretty helpful.

Find out what else Butenhoff has to say here.

Literary Magazine Ailment to Launch Podcast in 2021

blue hexagon with Ailment written under it in capital lettersIt’s March which means a new issue of literary magazine Ailment: Chronicles of Illness Narratives will be launching a new annual issue soon. The prompt for the 2021 issue was “Hope is…”.

Besides their annual issues and blog Telling, they have announced they will be launching a podcast in 2021 called Cellular Bodies “where voices connect around chronic illness, creativity, and healing.

The podcast is aimed at discovering the relationship in reflective contemplation of artistic works, exploring the role creativity plays in chronic illness, and examining transformation amid loss, grief, unknowing, hope, faith, and joy.

2020 River Styx Microfiction Contest Winners

River Styx Issue 103/104 coverIssue 103/104 of River Styx just hit our mailbox, bringing the winners of the 2020 River Styx Microfiction Contest with it. The winners were selected by the literary magazine’s editors. These stories must be 500 words or less.

First Place
“The Great Migration of Whales” by Michelle Kim Hall

Second Place
“Weighted Vest” by Rachel Furey

Third Place
“His Exposure” by Matthew Pitt

Honorable Mentions
“Wild Thing” by Haley Creighton
“Maybe This One” by Robert McBrearty
“On Liminality” by Marc Sheehan

Shooter’s Animal Love Issue Helps Stray Dogs

little girl holding flowers out for a dog to smellShooter Literary Magazine‘s Animal Love issue seeks to help benefit stray dogs. The theme for this issue was set before editor Melanie White’s own dog was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. This issue has transformed into a tribute to him and 10% of profits from issue sales will go to benefit Spanish Stray Dogs UK, a charity working to rehome abused and abandoned dogs of Spain.

From the editor:

I hope, as you read the stories and poetry in this issue, that you enjoy the transporting levity and engaging provocation of a lot of the pieces. These are, to say the least, difficult and isolating times for most of us, and we might like to read lighter fare than usual as a result. You will find plenty of heartening, diverting and insightful work in these pages. Please go to the Subscriptions page to order a copy.

Silk Road Offering Issues Online & In Print

Silk Road Issue 22 cover artDid you know that literary magazine Silk Road is offering its issues online beginning with Issue 17? You may not find 100% of the work featured in Issues 17 through 20, but starting with Issue 21 you can view all the content online.

Check out these archives and the Spring 2020 issue and don’t forget to order a print copy or subscribe to the journal to help support them.

Silk Road is a literary magazine run by undergraduate students at Pacific University. They are now a paying market, too! Writers receive $10/page up to $250 while artists receive $30 for each piece of art featured. They are currently open to submissions through May 1. There is a $2 fee to submit.

15th Mudfish Poetry Prize Winners

The 15th annual Mudfish Poetry Prize was judged by Erica Jong, author of The World Began With Yes (Red Hen Press, 2019).

The grand prize winner is Mark Schimmoeller from Frankfort, Kentucky with his poem “Benediction.”

First honorable mention is Cornelia Hoogland’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” and the second honorable mentions is James Trask’s “Springtime and Single Again.”

First place winner and the two honorable mentions will be featured in Mudfish 22 which will soon be available and don’t forget to stay tuned for news announcing the 16th annual Mudfish Poetry Prize deadline and guidelines.

Finalists:

Madeline Artenberg
Kew Gardens, New York

Adrian Blevins
Waterville, Maine

Paola Bruni
Aptos, California

Cornelia Hoogland
Hornby Island, Canada

Daniel Liebert
St. Louis, Missouri

Tim Louis Macaluso
Rochester, New York

Samuel Oguntoyinbo
Solon, Ohio

Mark Schimmoeller
Frankfort, Kentucky

Don Schofield
Thessaloniki, Greece

Deborah Schupack
Croton-on-Hudson, New York

James Trask
San Marcos, Texas

Laurie Zimmerman
Los Angeles, California

The Baltimore Review – 1,000 Words or Less Winners

The Winter 2021 issue of The Baltimore Review includes two contest winners among the rest of their contributors.

Contest Winner – 1,000 Words or Less – Fiction
“Intersection” by Basmah Sakrani

Contest Winner – 1,000 Words or Less – Creative Nonfiction
“The Reckoning” by Emily James

Take a little time out of your day to check out these winners.

San Francisco Poet, Publisher, & Bookseller Lawrence Ferlinghetti Dies at 101

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who played a leading role in West Coast literary history by championing Beat writer Allen Ginsberg, passed away in his home on Monday, February 22. He was 101 years old. Ferlinghetti and partner launched City Lights as the country’s first-ever all paperback bookstore in 1953. The bookstore was renowned for its bohemian atmosphere and collections of international poetry, fiction, progressive political journals and magazines. It later spawned a literary press which published Ginsberg’s controversial poem “Howl” which saw Ferlinghetti embroiled in a historic court case. Learn more…

Sunday Short Reads

Love creative nonfiction in bite-sized form? Literary magazine Creative Nonfiction has you covered with Sunday Short Reads. This is flash nonfiction delivered weekly straight to your inbox. The pieces featured in this mailing are hand-selected from the archives of Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, Diagram, River Teeth, and Sweet Lit. They will also sometimes feature the occasional original works, too.

Check out past issues here, and consider subscribing today to satisfying your nonfiction cravings.

Interested in submitting your own nonfiction? They are open to submissions of nonfiction by older writers (age 60+) through February 22.

February 2021 eLitPak :: Write More, Maintain Your Blog Less

screenshot of Write.as February 2021 eLitPak Flier
click image to open PDF

Write.as is a simple blogging platform made just for writers. You’ll get a clean space to write in, and your audience will get a calm place to read your work. Add Submit.as to seamlessly accept submissions for your magazine, blog, or writing contest. Stop by our virtual booth at AWP to learn more!

View the entire February eLitPak here. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get first access to future eLitPaks.

Get Ready to Write Brilliant Flash Fiction

Brilliant Flash FictionIf you’ve been wanting to strengthen your flash fiction skills, Brilliant Flash Fiction has you covered.

Join presenter Cindy Skaggs on Saturday, March 13, 2021 for a virtual flash fiction fundraiser workshop. The one-hour workshop will take you from zero to finished flash fiction. Find out more about Skaggs and registration at Brilliant Flash Fiction‘s website.

Master your flash fiction now and have something to submit to the journal’s next print anthology, submissions open until May 14.

Grand Little Thing Launches The Umbran Project

The Umbran Project logoGrand Little Things, an online literary magazine devoted to showcasing formal verse and free verse using typical versification techniques, has announced the creation of The Umbran Project. The name comes from The Umbra Poets who are known for skirting the line between “Art for Art’s Sake” and “For the Culture.”

The idea of the Umbran Project came about as the editor realized there are “a limited number of avenues that are specifically targeting African American Writers.” They hope to publish the Umbran Project twice a year and would love to feature at least 30 poets per issue.

The first issue’s deadline is April 14, 2021.

Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize Winners

Issue 57 of Ruminate features the winners of the Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize. Grab a copy now to check them out.

First Place
“The Difference Between a Year and a Lifetime” by Laura Budofsky Wisniewski

Second Place
“Papier-mâché” by Yvette Siegert

Honorable Mentions
“In Another Dream Where My Father Apologizes” by Hajjar Baban
“The Sparrow in the Banquet Hall” by Betsy Sholl

Finalists include Chaun Ballard, Jennifer Barber, Charley Gibney, Catherine Hodges, Suzanne Lummis, Megan Merchant, Brian Sneeden, Samuel Ugbechie, David Wright, and Haolun Xu.

Poor Yorick Reading Series: “Family Matters”

skull on black and pink backgroundPoor Yorick: A Journal of Rediscovery is continuing their monthly reading series with a virtual open mic and fireside chat!

Cozy up with your favorite beverage and share your poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Stick around for an open discussion between readers and writers.

This month’s theme is about family—the people who get us through bad times and celebrate the good times with us.

The reading will take place on February 25 from 7-9 pm EST and is free to attend on Microsoft Zoom. Find out more at Poor Yorick‘s website.

 

Position Available :: Fine Arts “Barista”

The Fictional Cafe logoThe Fictional Café, an online arts ‘zine, was established in 2013 and has steadily grown in popularity. Today, we have over 900 Coffee Club members in 64 countries. We publish fine arts exhibits, fiction, poetry, and podcasts, along with more occasional reviews, commentaries and interviews, each month.

As of March 1, we have an opening for our Fine Arts Barista. In this unpaid volunteer position, your role is assessing incoming art submissions for possible publication, as well as reaching out to art communities to invite artists to submit their work. You recommend exhibits to the editorial board and once approved, curate the artist’s works in publishable format with descriptions of each work, an Artist’s Statement, the artist’s bio and (optional) photograph. We strive to publish a Fine Arts exhibit once a month. Please review what we have published on our website, www.fictionalcafe.com.

If you’re interested, please reply to me at [email protected]. Type “Fine Arts Barista – NP” in the subject line. Please describe yourself, your artistic interests and how you feel you might fit in with our baristas and our community. The editorial board will begin interviews the last week of February. We extend a three-month trial period for new baristas; if we are all agreed on moving forward together, you’ll be introduced on our website and be given your own business cards and a Fictional Café Microsoft Office 365 account.

Perfect Your Poem

Do you have a problem poem that’s not cooperating with you? Check out Into the Void‘s new poetry and editing development service. Poetry Editor Andrew Rihn aims to be critical but encouraging with his feedback and promises: “I’ll highlight what’s working (because there is good stuff in every draft!) while pointing out places where you can develop and invigorate your writing. I’ll prompt you to consider the poem from new angles. I’ll ask a lot of questions.”

Find out more about Rihn’s rates and what else you can expect with the editing and development of your poem at Into the Void‘s submission manager.

Able Muse YouTube Channel: Readings & Book Trailers

If you weren’t able to attend the virtual reading and Q&A with Able Muse Press authors Carrie Green, Hailey Leithauser, and Sally Thomas on January 27, they have uploaded a recording of the event to their official YouTube Channel.

Don’t forget to subscribe for more content…like their recently released book trailer for William Baer’s New Jersey Noir: Cape May. This is the second book of the Jack Colt Murder Mystery Novels Series. It was released on January 15 of this year. They are hoping to bring even more book trailers in the new future.

Plus! Don’t forget their 2021 contests are open to submissions! You can submit fiction and poetry to their Write Prize for publication in their literary magazine Able Muse through March 15. You can submit full-length poetry collections to their Book Award through March 31.

University of South Alabama Launches Race and Identity Lecture Series

Screenshot of University of South Alabama Race & Identity Lecture SeriesOn January 27th the English department at the University of South Alabama launched their virtual Race and Identity Lecture Series with USA Writer in Residence Frye Gaillard and Journalist in Residence Cynthia Tucker with “Reflections on Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: A New Perspective of Race in America.” They have three more events scheduled in the series all to be held via Zoom.

This month is Dr. Channette Romero, an associate professor of English at the University of Georgia, who will take part in a conversation on Political Humor in Indigenous Animation on February 24 at 4:30 PM. Next month features Reverend Joseph Brown on Race and Identity in Literature in Culture. In April, Dr. Mudiwa Pettus will present Against Compromise: What Black Rhetorical Education in the Age of Booker T. Washington Teaches Us About Our Current Moment.

The English department offers an MA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and is home to the Stokes Center for Creative Writing.

The Iowa Review’s Veteran’s Writing Gallery

Literary magazine The Iowa Review, whose Fall 2020 issue was released last month after unexpected delays due to the pandemic, offers a web-home for veterans’ writing as well as resources for veteran writers with their Veteran’s Writing Gallery. In it they feature all work in its entirety by veteran writers who were published in the Spring 2013 and Spring 2015 issues.

Screenshot of The Iowa Review's Veteran's Writing Gallery

They also offer a biennial writing contest for veterans, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. The winners and runner-ups of the 2020 contest will be published in the Spring 2021 issue. First place was James Janko’s “Fallujah in a Mirror”; second place was Jerri Bell’s “He Said, She Said”; and runners-up were Erik Cederblom, Ashley Hand, and Brian Kerg. Their next contest is slated for a May 2022 deadline.

If you are a veteran writer, do check out their resources page which offers a guide to publishing venues, workshops and classes, and writing contests devoted to veterans and active-duty military and reservists.

New Orleans Review Issue 45: Queer Issue

New Orleans Review Issue 45 cover art by Julie Buck
Julie Buck, Hidden in Plain Sight, 2018, Digital Ink Print.

In Fall of 2020, literary magazine New Orleans Review released its first-ever issue devoted entirely to poetry and prose by queer writers. The issue also featured interviews with four artists from the LGBTQAI2+ community. Editor Lindsay Sproul, the first queer editor of the journal, states in the Editor’s Note: “As editor, I will continue to seek out the work of queer writers, and to hold intersectionality and advocacy at the center of our journal.”

Contributors in the Fall 2020 issue include Cassidy Wells, Jordan Lassiter, Lisa Ahima, Kimberly Pollard, Jason Villemez, Kate Milliken, Buzz Mauro, Corinne Manning, Rita Mookerjee, Kathleen Balma, Ava Dadvand, Zach Linge, Steven Cordova, Danley Romero, Eleanor Garran, and Jennifer Steil.

Read this issue and consider submitting work to future issues. For the month of February, Black History Month, black writers can submit their work for free.

2020 Loraine Williams Poetry Prize Winners

The Winter 2020 issue of The Georgia Review features the winner and three finalists of the 2020 Loraine Williams Prize.

Winner
“Transcript of My Mother’s Sleeptalk: Chincoteague” by Hannah Perrin King

Finalists
“far past the beginning and quite close to the end” by Bernard Ferguson
“Father’s Day: Looking West” by David Landon
“Surrounded by Peach Trees, President Clinton Speaks to My Fourth Grade Class” by Juan Luis Guzmán

The winning poem was selected by Ilya Kaminsky, and all three poems can also be found online.

3 New Pieces in Memoir Magazine

Screenshot of Memoir Magazine from January 2021Online literary magazine Memoir Magazine has published three new nonfiction stories since the start of the new year. The first piece is “Monkey Island” by Dorothy Rice. The story reflects back on childhood years growing up two blocks from the San Francisco Zoo and her friend “Tiny.”

The second is a personal essay by Jim Sollisch, “The Shocking Truth About Jews in Sports,” where he learns at the age of 10 that the world wasn’t mostly Jewish and he was, in fact, a minority.

The most recent story is “Bereavement” by Lauren Teller. She tells the story of her brother Eric, his struggle with epilepsy and surviving a train accident to die by COVID-19 fifteen years later and dealing with the grief.

Stop by Memoir Magazine to check out this new work and browse their archives “because everybody’s story matters.”

High Desert Journal “In the Time of COVID”

Screenshot of High Desert Journal's Virtual Salon In the Time of COVIDOnline literary magazine High Desert Journal launched a new series “In the Time of COVID” – a virtual salon – back in October 2020. In this series, HDJ gathers together the best of their writers and artists to read from new works, share passages from classics, and open their hearts to discuss the current pandemic.

The first episodes of the series sees editor Charles Finn discussing life and art making in the time of COVID-19 with Robert Wrigley, Kim Barnes, Brooke Williams, Shann Ray, CMarie Fuhrman, and Joe Wilkins. The second episodes features poets laureate Kim Stafford, Paulann Petersen, Tami Haaland, and Sheryl Noethe. The third episode has Charles Finn being joined by visual artists Bobbie McKibbin, Barbara Michelman, and Karen Shimoda.

Drop by their website to watch the videos and don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Did You Know? Ruminate’s Online Component The Waking

screenshot of The Waking: Ruminate OnlineRuminate, a reader-supported, contemplative quarterly literary arts magazine, has a regularly updated online component called The Waking. This features short nonfiction, short fiction, ruminations, reviews, interviews, and more.

Recent pieces includes “If Party Wolf Jumps,” short fiction by Ryan Rickrode; “Mourning Together: An Interview with Colombian Artist Erika Diettes”; “Wait for Me,” short nonfiction by Adriana Añon; and “‘Holding a Stuffed Raccoon Up to the Sky’: A Review of Erin Carlyle’s Magnolia Canopy Otherworld” by Sarah Bates.

The Waking: Ruminate Online is currently open to submissions of short prose, book reviews, and interviews. There is no fee to submit.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Ruminate‘s quarterly issues to support them.

J Journal Offering 2020 Issues Online

J Journal Fall 2020 Online Issue screenshotJ Journal: New Writing on Justice is a journal housed at CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “The short stories, poems, and personal narratives in each volume expand questions about being, living, and seeing in this shutter-speed world.” They have featured the work of new and established writers, law enforcement professionals, lawyers, professors, and incarcerated people.

This biannual journal is offering its 2020 issues online. The Fall 2020 issue features Alexandros Plasatis, Steve Chang, Laurie Lamon, Vincent Bell, Billy Middleton, B.G. Firmani, Betsy Sholl, Devon Blawit, Stephen Gibson, Adam Fout, Jake Shore, Linda Wilgus, Ann Keniston, Elizabeth Sylvia, Gerald Wagoner, Dara Passano, and Manuel Martinez. The Spring 2020 issue feature Deborah Flanagan, Kevin Clouther, 99 Hooker, David P. Miller, Ryan Bloom, Joel Clay, Philip Athans, Mary Birnbaum, Joseph Holt, J.P. Check, Cameron Mackenzie, James Schmidt, Sergey Gerasimov, Paula Yu, and A. W. Moreno.

Like what you see? Don’t forget to support the journal and subscribe to the print editions.

“The German Woman” by Josie Sigler Sibara

“She was generous to him in every way a woman could be. Hands large and fast, but tender. Flanked like a draft horse. Breasts heavy as the cheesecloth sacks hanging over her kitchen sink, dripping whey. She had managed to keep a single goat alive in the cellar of that house, every last of its windows smashed out. She brought Richard curds so fresh they squeaked against his teeth as she scooped them into his eager mouth on a crust of bread. How was this possible when anything left breathing in her country had been killed by his own comrades?”

So begins “The German Woman” by Josie Sigler Sibara, winner of the 2020 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction and selected by Lori Ostlund. Readers can find this short story in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of Colorado Review.

This year’s Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction is currently taking submissions until March 14, 2021.

Join The Common for 10 Weeks of Writing

You have a few days left to register for The Common‘s online writing program Weekly Writes. The ten-week program begins on January 25, and costs $25 to attend.

The poetry and prose programs provide prompts, writing advice, and an angle of accountability to help writers commit to a regular writing practice.

You can find out what you’ll receive if you register at The Common‘s website where frequently asked questions are also answered.

Sponsor Spotlight :: Gemini Magazine

Gemini Magazine cover artFounded in 2009, online literary magazine Gemini was started by editor David Bright with the goal of presenting high-quality prose, poetry, and art in an appealing, easy-to-read format. 12 years later, they are still going strong. Check out their December 2020 issue which features their Flash Fiction Prize winners (Harper Darnell and Barbara Ritchie) and honorable mentions along with a poem by Travis Stephens, cartoon by Bill Thomas, and a story from their archives.

They are currently open to submissions for their 12th Annual Short Story Prize through March 31. First place receives $1,000 and publication.

They publish a new issue every two to three months and also feature the occasional short play, memoir, poetry music videos, though-provoking lists, and more.

Stop by their listing on NewPages to learn more.

Sponsor Spotlight: Fjords Review

Fjords Review 2020 issueFjords Review is an annual print literary magazine featuring a wide range of diverse voices on a variety of topics. They also offer exclusive online content including reviews and interviews. Recent interviewees include Italo-Brazilian artist Laura Pretto Vargas and artist Jerry Anderson.

They celebrated 10 years of publication in 2020 and received a 2021 Pushcart Prize. They are open to submissions year-round and offer a free download of their Women’s Edition for a taste of what they like. They participate in Choice Magazine Listening which provides free audio recordings to the visually impaired.

While waiting for the release of their 2021 Edition, grab a copy of the 2020 issue, peruse their website content, and subscribe today. Don’t forget to stop by their listing on NewPages to learn more about them.