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NewPages Blog

At the NewPages Blog readers and writers can catch up with their favorite literary and alternative magazines, independent and university presses, creative writing programs, and writing and literary events. Find new books, new issue announcements, contest winners, and so much more!

New Lit on the Block :: Glass Seed Annual

Glass Seed Annual is a new annual poetry magazine published each fall that specializes in pantoums. Editor Mary Alexander Agner says that readers should expect to find poetry that uses “repetition, refrain, anaphora, alliteration, rhyme, meter, and other sonic devices to convey interesting and unexpected stories.”

The magazine started as a way to “showcase poetry which emphasizes the musical aspects of language without neglecting meaning,” explains Agner. “Also, I wanted to promote writing and reading of pantoums.”

Contributors in the first issue include Elsa Louise von Schreiber, Francesca Forrest, Joshua Davis, Sherry Chandler, and Louise Wakeling.

Agner said that the magazine will continue to solicit and publish poetry which emphasizes the music of language with a new topic for publication each year. Submissions are accepted through email, and writers whose works are selected will receive payment for publication.

The Ledge Magazine 2011 Awards Competition Results

The newest issue (#34) of The Ledge Poetry & Fiction Magazine features the winners of the 2011 Poetry and Fiction Awards Competition:

Poetry Awards Competition Results:
First Prize ($1,000): “Camille Pissarro: The Bather” by Elisavietta Ritchie of Broomes Island, MD
Second Prize ($250): “Last Pharaoh” by Joyce Meyers of Wallingford, PA
Third Prize ($100): “The History of Bitumen” by Don Schofield of Thessaloniki, Greece

Fiction Awards Competition Results:
First prize ($1000): “When Ah Was Very Young ” by Enid Baron of Evanston, IL.
Second prize ($250): “Amazing Things Are Happening Here ” by Jacob M. Appel of NY, NY.
Third prize ($100): “The Barberini Princess ” by Lisa Gornick of NY, NY

New Lit on the Block :: Linden Avenue Literary Journal

Edited by founder Athena Dixon, Linden Avenue Literary Journal is a monthly online journal that accepts poetry (up to 50 lines), flash fiction (up to 1,000 words), and fiction (up to 2,500 words). Dixon says that readers can expect to find the best work, regardless of any affiliation or prior publication and “poetry and fiction that is as beautiful in construction as it is in content. I wanted to create a place where writers would feel comfortable in sharing their words and, in turn, themselves.”

The journal was named after the street that Dixon grew up on. It was where she “first wrote her stories and poems and was encouraged to continue writing by the teachers in her local elementary school and junior high school.” Dixon explains that that she has created this journal as a space for stories that are both simple and stunning. “I found myself a little disheartened by work that seemed ‘alternative’ for the sake of being alternative, not because the content supported it,” she says.

The first issue features poetry and fiction by Elizabeth Akin Stelling, Leesa Cross-Smith, Ariana D. Den Bleyker, Daniel Casey, Andrea Blythe, Melanie Faith, Fiona Pearse, Marissa Hyde, Anthony Frame, Alisha Sommer, Gwen Henderson, C.L. McFadyen, William Henderson, Laura Hallman, Neal Kitterlin, and Val Dering Rojas.

The journal will continue to publish each month with a goal of being able to accept art and photography by the end of 2012. Within the next year, Dixon hopes to move the journal to a print publication.

Currently, submissions are accepted through Submittable on a rolling basis for issues published on the first of every month. Simultaneous submissions are welcome.

Indiana Review Prize Winners

In addition to having a stunning cover – “Ragnarok’n’Roll” by Jen Mundy – the newest issue of Indiana Review (34.1) features the winner of the 2011 Indiana Review Fiction Prize: “Mud Child” by Becky Adnot-Haynes; and the winner of the 2011 Indiana Review 1/2 K Prize (entrants limited to 500 words): “When You Look Away, the World” by Corey Van Landingham.

Books :: Tiny Homes

Ever since I read a news article about a woman who lived in a 200-square-foot home, I have been fascinated – and not doubt romanticizing – the idea of living (not just ‘vacationing’) in such a small space. What a great way to ‘de-clutter’ and ‘live simply’ as growing movements suggest we are better off doing so that others may ‘simply live.’ (The woman in the news article had a helpful rule we could all live better by: She only allowed herself a certain number of objects in her home. If she brought something new in, something old had to go.)

At NewPages, we get a lot of incoming, and one book I was thrilled to see was Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter, Scaling Back in the 21st Century by Lloyd Kahn, published by Shelter Publications.

This book features 150 builders who have created tiny homes (under 500 sq. ft.) on land, on wheels, on the road, on water, even in the trees. There are also studios, saunas, garden sheds, and greenhouses.

Most amazing, in the 224 pages are included 1,300 full-color photos, showing a rich variety of small homemade shelters, and there are stories (and thoughts and inspirations) of the owner-builders who are on the forefront of this new trend in downsizing and self-sufficiency.

This particular book does not include any intricate building plans – these are included in other publications put out by Shelter. Rather, the intent of this book is to showcase, inspire, and motivate people to consider this alternative way of taking up less space on the planet.

There’s a two-minute book trailer on the publisher’s website featuring Lloyd Kahn discussing the book, the concept of tiny shelters, and numerous images from the book as well. Certainly well worth a look.

Stone Voices Special Feature

The newest issue (Summer 2012) of Stone Voices features a new section called Art Exhibition and Literary Showcase. For this exhibition’s theme, “Inspired by Joy,” Editor Christine Brooks Cote says: “Artists and writers were encouraged to submit works that were inspired by joy or were intended to inspire joy in others, and, of course, were also related in some way to art or creative expression.” While only the top submissions are featured in the print issue, the complete selection of the exhibition can be see online at Stone Voice‘s webpage.

New Lit on the Block :: Glassworks

Glassworks is an ecclectic biannual of writing: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, craft essays, and new media: photography, paintings, photo essays, graphic fiction, video, audio (spoken; no music), and animations. Is that all? “Surprise us!” say the editors.

Available in print, with a digital new-media issue, and eZine, the December issue of Glassworks is a “regular” issue with May offering themed content.

Managing Editor Manda Frederick and Editor in Chief Ron Block started Glassworks as part of Rowan University’s Master in Writing Arts Graduate Program. “For a graduate program,” Frederick says, “it is important to have a literary journal to provide professional development for students and to supplement the purpose and quality of a program.”

In support of this mission, readers of Glassworks can expect to find variety of “current and interesting new-media content rarely published in other online journals, smart writing about craft, and a variety of poetry and prose from writers all over the globe. Moreover,” Frederick tells me, “our magazine’s aesthetic is built on the tenor and metaphor of the glass working industry (we are located in Glassboro, NJ, which was established as a glass working town). We value an attention to craft and aesthetic beauty.“

Glassworks first full issue, Spring 2012, features works by Robert Wrigley, Oliver de la Paz, Suzanne Paola, James Grabill, Andrew Lam, and more.

As for the future of the publication, the editors comment: “Next year is an exciting year for us. We will publish a general print issue, a digital new-media issue, and a themed issue (next year’s theme: utility and beauty). We are also going to publish an ‘apprentice’ issue that will be created out of community outreach, getting writing from our immediate community. You’ll also see us debut our magazine at AWP in Boston 2013. Moreover, Glassworks will, for the first time, be a graduate class. So the graduate students will be hard at work creating additional content for the magazine including interviews, blogs, and more.”

Glassworks is currently open for submissions with full information found on the publication’s website.

Stunning Covers :: J&L Illustrated

While I see many beautiful publications that come through NewPages, occasionally there is still a lit mag or book cover that I find ‘stunning’ enough to post on the blog. This time around, the stunning visual appeal is one that extends beyond the cover. J&L Illustrated introduced itself to us with issue #3 – which comes not only with a florescent orange and black cover, but florescent orange on the page edges all the way around (thankfully NOT on the text pages themselves throughout, which are instead a high quality black and white offset).

From the looks of the previous issues of J&L Illustrated, this colored edge is a signature of their publication, and one I find highly unique and eye-catching. Add to that the 5×7 format with 256 pages, and this mag has a nice, light ‘chunky’ feel that’s easy to tote, grab, and – thanks to the coloration – find in any bag or stack.

As for the content itself, this issue, edited by Paul Maliszewski, features drawings by Shoboshobo and 13 short stories by authors Amie Barrodale, Scott Bradfield, Stephen Dixon, Steve Featherstone, William H. Gass, Michael Martone, Joseph McElroy, Elizabeth Miller, Robert Nedelkoff, Hasanthikia Sirisena, Steve Stern, Mike Topp and Xiaoda Xiao.

Welcome to NewPages J&L Illustrated – nice to meet you!

The Pinch Literary Award Winners

Sponsored by The Hohenberg Foundation, The Pinch Literary Awards in Fiction and Poetry Winners 2011 appear in the newest issue of The Pinch (Spring 2012):

Fiction – Judged by Rick Bass

1st Place: Judith Edelman – “A Skiff of Snow”

2nd Place: James O’Brien – “Bing Red”

3rd Place: Stuart Dearnley – “Not Sleeping with the New Girl”

Poetry – Judged by Jeffrey McDaniel

1st Place: Claudine R. Moreau – ”Father-in-Law in His Tighty-Whities.”

2nd Place: John Sibley Williams – “Description of the Sky.”

New Lit on the Block :: The Boiler Journal

The Boiler Journal is a new online quarterly of poetry, fiction and nonfiction edited by Sebastian Paramo, William Derks, Carly Susser, Sarah Levine, and Caitlin Bahrey whose goal in starting a new literary magazine is “to promote unheard voices.” They hope to provide their readers with “quality literature of stuff you’ve never heard of before.”

The first issue of The Boiler Journal features works by Jessica Ankeny, G. Taylor Davis, Adam Chambers, Kevin Pilkington, Sophia Starmack, Justine Haus, and Jean Kim.

Editors say future plans for The Boiler Journal are to publish an annual best-of chapbook each year and continue growing from there.

Workers Write! Tales from the Combat Zone

The newest issue of Workers Write! is “Tales from the Combat Zone” featuring stories and poems from the soldier’s point of view. In his forward, Jim LaBounty, Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired) writes:

“We all have our stories. Many are hard to tell. Many are difficult to fathom – even when you are directly involved in them. Most are virtually impossible to explain to those who have never been there. War is not a mystery to mankind. We’ve been doing it forever. We write and sing of glories and leaders. These authors do the hard part. They write about the down and dirty of war. They write of the mundane. They write of the boredom. They write of the intensity. They write of the rules and regulations, the regimentation, the decision to follow orders, or not. They write of the craziness of it all…These stories are from many of our wars, but they really are not about war. This is about combat and the things it does to men and women faced with daily decisions that will allow them or their buddies to live or die.”

A full list of contents can be found here, as well as ordering information for this issue.

The next issue of Workers Write! is “Road Warriors: Tales from the Concrete Highway,” stories and poems from the driver’s point of view. Workers Write! is currently looking for fiction from “taxi cab drivers and chauffeurs, truck drivers, delivery drivers and couriers, forklift operators . . . anyone who uses a wheeled vehicle for work (even pit crews and stunt drivers).” The deadline for submissions is Dec. 21, 2012 (until the end of the world or the issue is full).

Hart House Review Poetry Contest Winners

The Hart House Review annual 2012 issue features winners from their 2011 Hart House Poetry Contest:

First Prize
Marlena Millikin, “Miner’s Hands”

Second Place
Michael Labate, “Domesticity”

Third Place
Jenn Gardener, “Clusters”

First Place, 2011 Contest Winner
Liza Kobrinsky, “Mother Courage”

[Cover Artwork: “Lettermess” by Jp King]

Undiscovered Voices Scholarship

Call For Applications for the 2013 Undiscovered Voices Scholarship. The Writer’s Center seeks promising writers earning less than $25,000 annually to apply. This scholarship program will provide complimentary writing workshops to the selected applicant for a period of one year, but not to exceed 8 workshops in that year. The recipient is expected to use the year to make progress toward a completed manuscript of publishable work. Previous winners include Gimbiya Kettering (2012), Lee Kaplan (2011), and Susan Bucci Mockler (2010). Deadline: June 30, 2012.

5×5 – Spring 2012

For such a tiny ephemeral-seeming publication, 5×5 delivers the goods with style. Not only is the publication itself small, but the literary pieces within are short, making 5×5 the ideal magazine to carry around with you everywhere you go. It fits nicely in your back pocket, and you can pull it out and read one or two pieces at a time whenever you have a spare few minutes. Continue reading “5×5 – Spring 2012”

American Short Fiction – Spring 2012

American Short Fiction differs from a lot of other literary journals in that, as its name implies, it only publishes short fiction. The Editor’s Note for this issue says that the stories explore “the voice of the collective—in particular, the women’s collective,” and while that description is not one-hundred percent applicable to all five stories in this issue, it pertains to more of them than not. The Editor’s Note also claims that these stories contain an above average share of violence and that “all this first-person plural and womanliness (womynliness?) and crime and violence may not sound like a blast to read. And yet it is.” That description, too, is a pleasingly accurate one. Many of the stories explore the edges of darkness but then allow light to resurface through reflection and humor. Continue reading “American Short Fiction – Spring 2012”

Barn Owl Review – 2012

You know that cousin you have who is really weird but whom you would defend to the death if anyone badmouthed him? He may be a little different, but you mean that in the best sense. He’s eclectic and creative and bound to do something amazing with his nontraditional life. That’s kind of how I feel about Barn Owl Review (BOR). There were times I was reading and shaking my head in wonder at the same time. BOR is definitely not bor-ing. Continue reading “Barn Owl Review – 2012”

Catch Up – 2012

Catch Up’s cover art bucks the usual trend of staid literary journal cover art. This issue features a lurid red, blue, and purple drawing by contributor Max Bode of a menacing figure with its head ringed with dynamite and its gloved hands holding detonators. So, the cover made me think more underground “litzine” or comics anthology than literary journal. However, I found, on the pages within, the work of some very widely published writers. Mixed in with this literary work are a few comics, including a nice series from Box Brown on Andre the Giant’s interactions with various cast members on the set of The Princess Bride, presumably from the comic biography of Andre that Brown is currently working on. Continue reading “Catch Up – 2012”

Conduit – Spring 2012

Who doesn’t dig the moon? This issue of Conduit is all about that orb out there beyond our atmosphere spinning around our planet while our planet, in turn, spins about the sun. For any lunar fanatic, this issue is a must have item. While non-poetry readers may puzzle over some of the poems in here, everybody is going to be down for the Buzz Aldrin interview—yes, the very same one-time astronaut Buzz Aldrin who touched down on that astro-hunk of lunar wonder. His perspective is counterbalanced by an interview with scholar Evans Lansing Smith titled “The Myth in the Moon.” In addition, a plentiful supply of attractive artwork featuring the moon is scattered throughout these pages, ranging from Warhol’s Moonwalk (1987) (here reclaimed from being used as an infamous ad for MTV) to Caspar David Friedrich’s Two Men Contemplating the Moon (ca. 1830) along with plenty of other art in between, everything from photography to sculpture. Continue reading “Conduit – Spring 2012”

The Conium Review – Spring 2012

The Conium Review takes its name from a small but significant genus in the plant kingdom. Their delicately detailed leaves and small white flowers give little indication of their danger. Why, one wonders, would the editors name their journal after hemlock? The leaves of the plant contain chemicals that disrupt the victim’s central nervous system. The lethal dose Socrates consumed caused progressive paralysis that eventually prevented him from breathing, depriving his heart and that powerful brain of the oxygen they needed. The fiction and poetry in The Conium Review inspire the same feeling as a mild dose of the drug. No worries; this kind of conium is not deadly. The stories in the journal do not draw the reader in with whiz-bang narratives and cliffhanger plots. Rather, the pieces draw you in with character work that is compelling in a calm manner. Continue reading “The Conium Review – Spring 2012”

Denver Quarterly – 2012

Most magazines will tell you they’re not concerned about subject matter or esthetic or stylistic approach—only about good writing. This one means it. There are poems here as rewardingly difficult as Leora Fridman’s “A Fattening,” and as direct as marc t wise’s “new jersey”: Continue reading “Denver Quarterly – 2012”

Field – Spring 2012

In Dana Gioia’s essay, “Can Poetry Matter?” published in May 1991 in The Atlantic Monthly, Gioia offers a prescription for poetry that includes writing prose about poetry more often. He observed that poetry as an art form had been partitioned within the wider culture. I quote his essay’s final paragraph here: Continue reading “Field – Spring 2012”

Fourteen Hills – 2012

Fourteen Hills, staffed by graduate students of San Francisco State University, publishes “a diversity of experimental and progressive work by emerging and cross-genre writers, as well as by award-winning and established authors.” The journal claims that because it is independent, “its aesthetic is dynamic and fluid, ever changing to meet the needs of the culture and the historical moment as the staff perceive them.” It is a well-bound book, a nicely-edited artifact with a fabulous cover by John Masterson (is it a “real” photograph or a digitally enhanced one? I think the latter but I can’t be sure; it’s of a nine-point buck standing among the detritus of an overturned garbage can in a blue and silver winterscape), but I found the writing in it uneven, and not always to my taste. As the website makes clear, 14H does not aspire to extend the tradition of canonical literature in English or to demonstrate a high-minded cultural or theoretically-grounded aesthetic. Reviewers before me have lauded it for its diversity and spontaneity. Continue reading “Fourteen Hills – 2012”

The Greensboro Review – Spring 2012

The Greensboro Review, part of The University of North Carolina Greensboro’s creative writing program, is simply clad in thick paper which has a natural-pressed feel, with the title and names of the contributors on the front. The magazine opts for a simple cover, choosing instead to spend its efforts on the contents within. It is no surprise that the collection of pieces provided by MFA students is superb. The review features fiction and poetry, all of which feels effortless in its precise crafting. It’s handmade literature at its best. Continue reading “The Greensboro Review – Spring 2012”

The Hudson Review – Spring 2012

The Hudson Review is more thoroughly an academic/cultural review journal than many of the magazines reviewed at NewPages. Its essays, “Chronicles,” “Comments,” and the six pieces actually categorized as “Reviews,” are all provocative, erudite reviews of literature and the arts, aimed at an audience of well-educated, well-informed critics equal in measure to the authors themselves. This is a serious, high-minded journal well worth your time if your interests include analysis of the dramatic verse of Ben Jonson, the music of Philip Glass, or the autobiographical fiction of Gregor von Rezzori. Flawlessly edited and professionally impeccable, the writing here is secular, humanistic, and strong. Continue reading “The Hudson Review – Spring 2012”

Iconoclast – 2012

Although Iconoclast may not appear to be your typical magazine, it contains a plethora of magical writing just waiting to be discovered. The magazine itself is stapled-stitched on non-glossy paper, and some works share pages based on size (which to me seems like the ecologically friendly route to go). Something that also intrigued me is that they have a lifetime subscription to any country for a base rate. If you like what you read, this seems like a great investment. The magazine is mostly poetry and prose; however, they normally include reviews which were excluded from this issue (their next issue will be even bigger and include the reviews). Continue reading “Iconoclast – 2012”

Image – Winter 2011/2012

In its two-plus decades of existence, Image has garnered a reputation asa unique forum for the best writing and artwork that is informed by—or grapples with—religious faith.” This is no small calling. Not content to provide rote answers, convinced that beauty transcends trite aphorisms, the editors of the journal focus on verbal and visual art that “embody a spiritual struggle, that seek to strike a balance between tradition and a profound openness to the world.” In this issue, the fiction is compelling, and the nonfiction and poetry illuminate with heartbreaking effectiveness the tension between contemporary socialized intelligence and the fierce desire for God. Its theme seems to be fervent searching. I found it very moving. Continue reading “Image – Winter 2011/2012”

Juked – Spring 2012

Juked’s website says, “We don’t adhere to any particular themes or tastes, but some people tell us they see one, so who knows.” I’m not going to make any broad declarations of a theme connecting the stories, poetry, and interviews in this issue; I’m just going to highlight a few of the better selections. Continue reading “Juked – Spring 2012”

Light Quarterly – Autumn 2011/Winter 2012

Near the end of the latest issue of Light—which is twenty years old and probably the most important venue for humorous verse in the country—there is a note saying that unless financial support or volunteer editors come forward, the upcoming issue will be its last. Continue reading “Light Quarterly – Autumn 2011/Winter 2012”

The Lindenwood Review – 2011

I am not a native Californian. I was raised in the great state of Missouri, thank you very much, and it is a state that I sorely miss sometimes. This is why it was an immense pleasure to find in my mailbox The Lindenwood Review, a literary journal from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. It was like receiving a love letter from a friend I haven’t heard from in years. Cultural biases aside, the inaugural issue of this university press features a strong line-up of fiction, poetry, and essays from various talents across the country and abroad. Continue reading “The Lindenwood Review – 2011”

The Massachusetts Review – Spring 2012

There’s something faintly whimsical about this issue of The Massachusetts Review. Maybe it’s in the tone of “Bad Meditator,” a poem by Doug Anderson whose list of distractions isn’t a complaint but rather a love letter to all the occupants of Monkey Mind: Continue reading “The Massachusetts Review – Spring 2012”

Poet Lore – Spring/Summer 2012

Poet Lore was established in 1889 as a brilliant exploration of literature. It expanded through inspired conversation and has grown over a century into a repertoire of well-known and new authors, each issue a beautiful collection of work that deserves the reputation. The spring/summer issue is no exception. Continue reading “Poet Lore – Spring/Summer 2012”

Raleigh Review – 2011-2012

A young magazine, only on its second volume, Raleigh Review pulls off an understated maturity in its choice of fiction and poetry pieces, while the artwork is playful and quirky. It is a magazine that takes itself seriously, but not to a fault, with an impressive list of heavy hitters. The interior and exterior artwork are the creations of Geri Digiorno, a set of themed mixed-media collages, intricate paper mosaics that are jolting, haunting, and yet strangely sweet and light all mixed in together, a lovely invitation to read what’s inside. Continue reading “Raleigh Review – 2011-2012”

Sententia – 2012

Sententia opens with a kind-of abridged editor’s note on the inside of the front cover. The title name is “Latin for sentence, but also means thought, meaning, and purpose.” The magazine couldn’t be more appropriately named, and, in fact, I would’ve described the works in the journal with these three adjectives prior to reading this note. The editors of Sententia had a goal in mind, and they achieved it. Continue reading “Sententia – 2012”

Spinning Jenny – 2011

The Spinning Jenny team at Black Dress Press has put forth no lack of effort. The magazine’s cover design, as well as the first few pages, index, and footers, speaks of a literary sense of humor. The editors manage not to take themselves too seriously while also producing a line of beautifully fashioned issues, and issue number twelve is no exception. An equally as well-designed website for the magazine sports past issues and reviews, all of which are positive and a good introduction to a first reading of Spinning Jenny. Continue reading “Spinning Jenny – 2011”

Sycamore Review – Winter/Spring 2012

“A conversation,” says Editor-in-Chief Jessica Jacobs of The Sycamore Review, “involves two people who know each other sitting down in a familiar room. But as anyone who’s ever picked up a book and had it speak to her knows, conversations can also occur in which not even a single word is said aloud, in which two minds engage each other outside the immediacy of same time, same place.” Jacobs’s words provide an appropriate introduction that mirrors the fantastical cover art by Kathleen Lolley. The latest issue of this journal from the Purdue University English Department wants to have a conversation with you, dear reader, and to share its poetry, fiction, essays, interviews, art, and book reviews. Continue reading “Sycamore Review – Winter/Spring 2012”

Vallum – 2012

Vallum has been encouraging an international literary collaboration of established and forthcoming writers for a little over a decade. The publication is dedicated to fostering communication in and around its home in Canada as well as with countries that range from Australia to India. This issue features a special focus on Pakistani poets. Pakistan is “often portrayed as one of the world’s most dangerous countries,” and so it is no surprise that a collection from its poets is astonishingly beautiful and powerful. Continue reading “Vallum – 2012”

Jersey Devil Press – June 2012

This issue of Jersey Devil Press magazine, as the editors indicate, is “chock full of stories about people betrayed by self, undermined by their own best efforts, and ultimately destined to fail because of their inherent, incurable flaws.” Inside the issue, each character and story is definitely unique, pulling the reader through the issue to figure out what the next surprise is. Continue reading “Jersey Devil Press – June 2012”

The Summerset Review – Summer 2012

This issue of The Summerset Review marks a ten year anniversary. Although I had not read this magazine before this issue, if this issue is any indication, I can see why they have made it this far. While small and simple, this publication has a lot to offer. The poetry that started the issue, two poems by Ha Kiet Chau, was especially inviting. The words in “Dizzy Distraction,” easily glide over the tongue in a summer haze that is perfect for the June issue: Continue reading “The Summerset Review – Summer 2012”

Anti – June 2012

Anti- is, as the editors explain, “contrarian, a devil’s advocate that primarily stands against the confinement of poetry in too-small boxes. Anti- wants to provide a single arena for a wide range of styles and ideas, so these different kinds of poets and poems can either fight it out or learn to coexist.” What I found most interesting with this issue of Anti- is the vast breadth of styles that it packs; each poet seemed to bring something different. With some of the poems, I was just captured by the titles alone: “Dictator, By Which I Mean the Mother Brandishing a Pistol with a Piñata over Her Head” and “When they squeeze us the wind splinters where we used to be, which is also where we are now.” Continue reading “Anti – June 2012”

inter|rupture – June 2012

This issue of inter|rupture certainly had me lost in the words. With each author’s work, I anticipated something fresh, and I wasn’t disappointed. The imagery in this issue is what has lingered with me, long after I finished reading. I was haunted (in a fantastic and exhilarating way) by the imagery in Peter Jay Shippy’s “Last Requests” in which the narrator doles out a list of strange requests for the body the narrator will leave behind: Continue reading “inter|rupture – June 2012”

Stirring – June 2012

Stirred is exactly how I felt after reading the fiction piece in this issue of Stirring; Lisa Locascio’s “Friend Request” made this issue well worth the read. The story is narrated by the father of a teenage girl whose username on “YourPage” is Susiecide. Throughout the story, the father monitors the young girl’s posts and photos, taking a peak into her personal world that she limits him access to. As I was reading it, I had to constantly remind myself that it was a piece of fiction: the characters and narration her felt so real and authentic that it seemed like it could be nonfiction. Locascio certainly did a great job taking on the voice of the father. She is careful and crafty in making all of these characters seem like real people. Continue reading “Stirring – June 2012”

LITnIMAGE – Spring 2012

LITnIMAGE fuses flash fiction with edgy visual art to make a quirky online mag. My favorite piece from this issue is Justin Lawrence Daughtery’s “The Lobster Queen” which uses the symbol of the last lobster left in the tank at the grocery store to represent a young woman’s view on life. I loved the subtle hints and details, the interactions between the narrator and her sister and father, and the language that is used throughout. I was eager to read on after the first paragraph: Continue reading “LITnIMAGE – Spring 2012”

Dragnet Magazine – June 2012

Just from the cover, the graphics, and the presentation of the magazine—easy to read online and compatible with phones and tablets—I was impressed with this gem. The first story, Andrew Borkowski’s “Legomaniac,” drew me right in as a great nonfiction piece with a very interesting character, an old woman who is insistent on winning over the love of his daughter. I also really loved Nadia Ragbar’s “The Fair,” in which she denies her attraction to Rusty, a boy who gives her a gift of a small Chief figurine: “I left to buy a Coke, my left hand fiddling with the change in my left jeans pocket, the figurine jammed in the middle of my palm with the plastic headdress making a crown of points in the meat of me. My heart beating around it, in my right jeans pocket.” Continue reading “Dragnet Magazine – June 2012”

Spittoon – Spring 2012

Spittoon magazine says, “To us, the form is as important as the content, and both form and content should work together to develop the intended effect,” and I think the pieces in this issue certainly hold true to that. When I was reading, I noticed a lot of different forms—something I always find endearing. Continue reading “Spittoon – Spring 2012”

Blood Orange Review – Spring 2012

This Spring 2012 issue of Blood Orange Review is all about collections: collections of stories, of locks and keys, of facts, and even of elephants. What some of these stories also have are stellar first lines. Brently Johnson’s nonfiction piece “The Raisin Invasion” starts out with, “When my sister got kicked out of the house for good, my mother filled her bedroom with raisins.” With a line like that, I couldn’t help but click the “more” button to read on—and I’m glad I did. It is compelling and honest throughout. Stephanie Friedman’s “I Want the Copy that Dreams” starts off with, “Jean felt nettled for no reason she could name, a pricking just beneath her skin.” With just a few short stories, this magazine can be read over a lunch break or after work to unwind—it’s just the right size.
[www.bloodorangereview.com] Continue reading “Blood Orange Review – Spring 2012”

Shot Glass Journal – January 2012

In sixteen lines or less, these writers serve up a shot of poetry each. Some of them are sweet and some burn on the way down, but all of them prove the ability to convey meaning and emotion in a small amount of space. Just take a look at Burt Kimmelman’s piece which accomplishes this with only 23 words or Dan Sklar’s three shots of reflection. I certainly can’t get over my sinking gut after reading Neil Banks’s cinquain poem “Lost Words” Continue reading “Shot Glass Journal – January 2012”