New Lit on the Block :: A NARROW FELLOW

A NARROW FELLOW is a new biannual, print, poetry magazine that takes its name from an Emily Dickinson poem, later named by publishers “The Snake.” This poem is about “…a narrow fellow in the grass…” After coming up with a list of 40 possible names, Editors Mark Lee Webb and Molly McCormack (husband and wife) sat down to make a final decision: “The name we settled on at the end of the candle and the bottom of the bottle of wine (a Pinot Noir) was A NARROW FELLOW,” says Webb.

“We wanted to connect more with ‘The Tribe,’ make contacts with established voices,” he says. “We also recognized the difficulty new voices have getting published . . . It’s often a very closed clique . . .” Knowing this frustration, they wanted to make a place for these new voices to shine.

The magazine features mostly poems that fit on one page and that “tell engaging stories, that use vivid images, and that sing melodies that beg you to come back for more.” Web says that they don’t publish experiment, but they also don’t publish traditional forms with measured meter and end-rhymes. “We publish innovators (which is different than experimenters, to a degree). Webb really knows the kinds of poetry they want, and the kind they don’t want: “We publish lots of metaphor. We publish poems that tell a unique story in a unique way. We don’t publish poems about writing poetry. We don’t publish poems about the meaning of the universe. We publish mysterious poems that are not confusing. They don’t tie a bow around their endings, and they make the reader work a bit. But they are not un-solvable puzzles.”

Each author that they feature has at least two poems, “so the reader can get a better sense of their voice.” Webb says that they event rejected some excellent poets because they only sent one poem, or only one remarkable poem in the set.

The first issue features well-known poets Jeffrey Skinner, Mark Brazaitis, Fred Smock, James Harms, and Lynnell Edwards. The issue also includes Karen Schubert, who recently won an Ohio Arts Council grant and teaches at Youngstown State. Webb says, “Her poem ‘Toby Tyler’ is remarkable.” Webb says they are excited to be one of the first magazines to publish the work of Jerriod Avant, an MFA student “that you’ll be hearing a lot about in the next few years.” The issue also features the work of emerging voice such as Caitlin Thomson and Valentina Cano. Webb says that the next issue will feature double the amount of poets that were published in the inaugural issue, which was seventeen.

In the future, A NARROW FELLOW plans to publish a theme issue that will pair pieces of artwork with poems written about the art. Webb says that in addition to publishing the issue, they will hang the art and poems for a show at a gallery.

For information on submitting or subscribing to the magazine, please visit their website.

New Lit on the Block :: Star 82 Review

Star 82 Review is a brand new online magazine that is named after the code you use to unblock a blocked phone number so the recipient knows who you are. “I like that a writer’s voice is revealed in a written piece,” says Editor Alisa Golden, “an artist’s hand is shown in a visual work.”

Available quarterly online for free, or in print for purchase through CreateSpace and Amazon, Star 82 Review publishes stories, poems, play scenes, and monologues. But in particular interest to Golden is publishing fiction and nonfiction that come in under 1000 words. There are also two unique categories: Postcard Lit and Erasure Text. You can see examples of these forms in their first issue online, which features Stephen Ajay, Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Lauren Guza Brown, William Copeland, Leonard Crosby, Marie C. Dern, Gina, Jim Hair, Alan D. Harris, William D. Hicks, Jnana Hodson, Paul Hostovsky, Alastair Johnston, Maureen Kingston, Lisa Kokin, Ron. Lavalette, Jonathan Lethem, Rachel Smith, Judith Tannenbaum, and Mary Whiteside (with Alan Whiteside).

Golden says that readers can expect to find “thoughtful, layered pieces that reveal emotional and psychological truths. The works unveil the strange and unique quality of a familiar object or situation. Readers are likely to come away laughing, nodding, gasping, or shaking their heads in understanding.” Golden says that she wanted to start this magazine to showcase both art and writing alongside one another. And as the magazine develops, she hopes to continue publishing as long as possible and to discover more excellent writers and authors.

Star 82 Review accepts submissions via Submittable year-round. However, the projected deadlines are May 15, August 15, November 15, and February 15 for particular issues. More guidelines can be found on the website.

New Lit on the Block :: Zymbol

Zymbol is a new print magazine that publishes twice a year, in March and September, and welcomes all sorts of genres and forms. Editor Anne James says, “We’re happy to consider any genre or medium that the submitter feels belongs to, or shares a connection with, Symbolism or Surrealism. As an editor, I’d rather read three times as many submissions to find that amazing, description-defying piece than to miss out on seeing it because we’ve set our guidelines too strict.” However, because they are a print magazine, James says, “we can’t accommodate submissions of someone’s videotaped fire-eating homage to Salvador Dalí.”

In the issues you can expect to find a variety of writing. “We pride ourselves on the diversity of voices we publish,” says James, “and I don’t just mean in terms of demographics. We have everything from the whimsical to the downright sinister. Any reader who daydreams and questions reality can find a sense of camaraderie in the pages of Zymbol.”

The magazine gets its title from the way symbols are “the key in Symbolist and Surrealist works.” James says, “We wanted our name to pay homage to historical influences, while signaling a drive for the future, hence the ‘Z.’” James worked learning the industry at St. Petersburg Review with Elizabeth Hodges, “an amazing mentor and friend who showed [her] it’s still possible for an independent literary magazine to thrive.” James says that she feels there is a “vacancy in the world of art and literature for a publication that is both surreal and grounded in experience. Too much contemporary literature veers off into absurdity and flights of fancy, but what excites me is the absurd out of the commonplace, the magic and mystery in our minds and our realities.”

Along with James there is a student editor, Adria Holmes of Endicott College, along with Alex O’Fhailghigh, who has been helpful in defining the editorial focus, and Marta Ferrer, who helps with art submissions and helping recruit international contributors.

The first issue features art by Nuncio Casanova, Anastasia Hager, and Mette Norrie; an essay by Marta Ferrer Gómez; poetry by Carol Alexander, Flower Conroy, William Doreski, Lou Gallo, Anastasia Hager, Anne James, Natalie Kinsey, Anthony Madrid, Erin Lyndal Martin, Ben Nardolilli, Kevin O’Sullivan, Mary Ellen Phillips, Matt Schumacher, J.J. Steinfeld, Tim Suermondt, Allison Willard, and Bill Wolak; and fiction by Jennifer Hollie Bowles, Cary Groner, Zachary Kaplan-Moss, Larry Lefkowitz, Ilya Lyashevsky, John McCaffrey, Harry Posner, and Evan Morgan Williams.

While they are only available in print right now, they hope to develop an e-reader version as soon as possible. Along with that goal, they hope to “get bookstores and other venues enthusiastic about doing some wacky readings and performances, because there’s nothing like sharing an experience with a room full of people.”

Right now, they are looking for submissions that will match up with “what is shaping up to be a very dark and stormy Autumn/Winter issue.” James says this will be a nice contrast to the Spring/Summer issue. She advises that although they read year-round, submissions now through May have the best shot at getting into the next issue. They take submissions online through their website. But “if you have something crazy that the submissions manager won’t eat,” you can send it directly to James at [email protected].

New Lit on the Block :: Spry Literary Journal

Check out Spry Literary Journal, a brand new online, biannual publication that features creative nonfiction, fiction, flash prose, and poetry that is brief, “works that rely on each word to be agile, lithe, to carry its own weight—to be spry.” Editors Erin A. Corriveau and Linsey Jayne said that inside the issues, readers will find “works that will move them to tears, works that will make them laugh, and works that will challenge them to see the world through new and imaginative lenses. . . . They will find their reflections in magical realism and the art of the real. Readers can expect to find creative nonfiction, poetry and fiction from seasoned authors and first time published writers as well. Their work is risky, vulnerable, historical, and honest.”

Linsey said that as her and Erin came to the end of their MFA program and their work with Mason’s Road journal, they realized that the next step would be to make a literary journal of their own. “During our time in the MFA program, we had each worked on a critical thesis that lent itself to the study and creation of concise literature.”

Eager to branch out, Linsey said that they hope to eventually become a triannual publication, introduce audio/visual elements to the journal, and explore opportunities for other formats beyond the online model. “We are looking forward to planning our first launch party, building up our site, hosting contests, and much, much more,” she said. “We’re more eager than anything, though, to see each new submission that comes through our manager, and to determining which pieces will make future issues come to life.”

Each of Spry’s issues features a five-question interview with an established writer. Linsey is pleased to announce that the first issue features Porochista Khakpour and encourages readers to read the interview and leave comments. “We’re excited for the future,” she said, “we have some exciting interviewees lined up and more great submissions coming through every day.” She expressed that they are always open to new ideas and to contact her at any time.

The first issue also features creative nonfiction by Elizabeth Hilts, Jenni Nance, Alan Shaw, Amy Sibley, and Barbara Wanamaker; fiction by Kate Alexander-Kirk, Jeni McFarland, Wei He, Paul Pekin, and Ben Sneyd; flash by Allie Marini Batts, Lucas Burris, Adrien Creger, Christine Hale, Matt Lucas, Saeide Mirzaei, Bill Riley, Michael Dwayne Smith, Alexandra Todak, and Janna Vought; and poetry by Sheila Black, Conor Bracken, Jeremy Byars, Elizabeth Cooley, B.D. Fischer, Erin Hoover, Leigh Anne Hornfeldt, Paul Hostovsky, Kevin Miller, and Michael Sarnowski.

Submissions of short creative nonfiction, short fiction, flash (in any genre), and poetry are being accepted now through March 31 for the second issue. Linsey notes that for the flash category, they accept “fiction and nonfiction, as well as anything experimental in that genre.” Spry has a blind submission policy and accepts submissions via Submittable. For more submission guidelines, please view their website.

New Lit on the Block :: DIALOGIST

DIALOGIST is a brand new online magazine, released quarterly. Publishing poetry and art and photography, DIALOGIST was designed “to serve as a platform for diversity through discourse.” They wish the focus to be on the content and not on the aesthetic. Founding Editor Michael Loruss says, “We expect that our featured work be clear, dynamic, and start a conversation.”

Though “dialogist” in the dictionary means “One who takes part in a dialogue” or “A writer of dialogues,” Loruss says that they “want readers to approach [the] name as more figurative and less literal, therby avoiding writing toward the name.” More simply put, he says, “the work we select will have an honest exchange with the reader, and vice versa.”

Other editors of the magazine include Brandon Courtney (poetry editor), Rachel Lin Weaver (art editor), and Lia Snyderman (website manager/contributing editor). If they are able to secure outside funding, they hope to offer a select print compilation, featuring the poetry and art from each of the quarterly online issues.

The first issue of DIALOGIST features poetry by J. Scott Brownlee, Robert Campbell, Heather Cox, Rebecca Dundon, Brad Efford, Mercedes Lawry, Adam Moorad, Charles Rafferty, Daniel Ruefman, Mark Simpson, Linda Umans, and Changming Yuan as well as art by Kev Anderson, Joel T. Dugan, Erin Robinson Grant, Anders Johnson, June Yong Lee, Kate MacDowell, Andrew Maurer, Devin Mawdsley, Rachel Seed, and Kimberly Turner.

Submissions are taken on a rolling basis via Submittable. Please visit their website and Facebook for more information.

New Lit on the Block :: ARDOR

ARDOR Literary Magazine is a new triannual digital magazine the publishes short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and short-shorts alongside visual art. Founding and Managing Editor Joseph Hessert says that he launched ARDOR “to fill a niche in the market—offering writers a rapid turn-around time on their submissions and the guarantee of payment for accepted work.” He is very interested in making sure that each writer gets the attention they deserving; he reads each submission through twice so that mood of an editor on a particular day does not sway the decision. “At present I’m the only one reading submissions,” he says, “and despite this fact I managed to respond to over 90% of the work submitted during our first reading period within two weeks, writing many personal replies and notes of thanks to the writers and artists who sent their work to ARDOR.”

Hessert explains the name of the magazine as such: “ARDOR is defined as “a great warmth of feeling; fervor or passion” and can alternatively be defined as “an intense devotion or eagerness.” This word seemed a fitting name for our publication as all meaningful writing stands as an example of a writer’s burning passion —his or her need to offer a unique vision of the world. As a literary magazine this is the type of work we strive to find, feature and promote: writing that matters.”

Currently, ARDOR can be read online in a digital publishing format that creates links through the magazine and on mobile devices (offers the option of a convenient text-only reading option to eliminate the need to zoom). Hessert says that in the future, they may offer a print version of the digital copy.

Each issue of the magazine features one prose writer and one poet. Personal interviews are included with both authors. “This interview with the writer offers readers additional insight and (we hope) deepens their enjoyment of and engagement with the featured pieces in the magazine,” says Hessert. “These interviews close with craft-advice for new writers and we think this is a nice tribute to our featured writers and a nice thing to offer our readers (many of our readers are writers after all).”

Already, ARDOR is increasing its reputation, first with a short story contest that will offer writers at $500 prize as well as an interview and publication in Issue 3. Veteran story writer Chris Offutt will be the guest judge. In the future, Hessert says he hopes to offer more contests and increase the pay the writers receive. “My hope is that as more people become aware of ARDOR word will get out that we’re a professional independent publication that values and respects writers and consistently offers readers stories, essays and poems which matter,” Hessert explains.

Issue One includes fiction by Meagan Cass and Andrew Dutton (our featured prose writer), nonfiction by Heather Price-Wright, Anastasia Selby and Sean Finucane Toner, poetry by Phillip Barron, Ellen Wade Beals, John S. Blake, Nancy Dobson, Nidhi Zakaria Eipe, Howie Good, Peter McNamara (our featured poet), Laurelyn Whitt and David Zaza and artwork by Eleanor Leonne Bennett, Rachel Carbonell, Ines Franco Fatzinger, MJ Forster (cover artist) and Ann Tracy.

ARDOR is open to submissions year-round, and the open reading period of the Short Story Contest goes until the end of March 2013. Guidelines for both can be viewed on ARDOR’s website.

For a review of ARDOR on Screen Reading, click here.

New Lit on the Block :: The Golden Key

NewPages is happy to welcome yet another new, online magazine—The Golden Key. Publishing fiction and poetry twice a year, the magazines is available online and in PDF form for free. The magazine publishes speculative and literary writing, stories and poems that “grip,” “enchant,” and “enthrall” the editors.

The name of the magazine is inspired by the Grimm’s fairy tale by the same name. Co-Editor Susan Anspach says that the story “concludes with a boy lifting the lid of a little iron chest before revealing to readers what the chest contains. The Grimms,” she continues, “chose to end their collection of fairy tales with this story as a reminder that there exists an endless reserve of stories still yet untold. In the same spirit, our journal seeks to publish work that is open to strange and marvelous possibilities.”

During her MFA program at University of Maryland, Anspach met Co-Editors Carlea Holl-Jensen and LiAnn Yim. They were all reading a lot of speculative and strange work. “We were excited to share our fascination with the weird and the oft magical, and we knew we wanted more of it,” Anspach says. Thus, the magazine was born.

But compared to some other online magazines, this magazine will remain digital. The editors don’t have hopes of eventually turning it to a print publication because they wish to make “the best digital imprint [they] can.” Anspach says that this will help keep the costs low so that they can eventually pay their contributors.

The poems in the first issue include “Let’s Hurt” by Cat Richardson, “My Son to His Therapist:” and “Daughters of the Spindle” by Mary Elzabeth Lee, “Song of Solomon” by Maya K Lowy, “You tell me” by M.S. Rooney, and “dream, tiger” by Nancy Chen Long. The fiction includes “Bones” by Sylvia Linsteadt, “Fetching Whiskey Bill” by Lily Bruzas, “The Wooden Frame” by Alexander Gifford Howard, “Trail of Stones” by Adam Smith, and “Duplicator” by James D. Reed.

Every issue of the magazine is themed. The magazine accepts submissions via email starting Jan. 1 and running through March 31 for the next issue. You can follow The Golden Key on Facebook and Twitter (@GoldenKeyLit) for announcements on submissions, issue themes, and release dates.

New Lit on the Block :: the museum of americana

We are happy to welcome the museum of americana to our guide to literary magazines. Born from the desire to “revive and repurpose our cultural heritage” and pass it on to the next generation, the magazine publishes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, reviews, interviews, photography, and artwork. Editor Justin Hamm says that this quarterly online magazine’s name contains the word “museum” because it is what they’d like to accomplish. “One of the best parts of a museum experience is the juxtaposition,“ he says. “Dozens of periods exist under the same roof, which can create a pretty interesting mixture. We want our readers to have that kind of experience with each issue, to move from, say, Thomas Jefferson to Doo-Wop in one mouse click. At the same time, ‘museum’ is not meant to imply ‘retired’ artifacts under glass. We’re especially interested in work that makes Americana new, that experiments with or repurposes it in unexpected ways.”

Hamm says that beyond excellent reading and art, you can expect to experience “something akin to running into an old high school friend after twenty years, a simultaneous mixture of familiarity and foreignness.” Hamm says that the editors woud like to restore the cultural heritage’s vitality by “publishing work that uses the old as construction material for something new. Americans are down in a lot ways right now. We’re divided. Now seems like a good time to revisit our shared past.”

The first issue of the museum of americana includes poetry from Tony Barnstone, Scott Beal, Jenn Blair, Jeff Kass, Kathleen Kirk, Norbert Krapf, Christopher Martin, Kevin Millar, Dale Patterson, Pepper Trail, David Walsh, and Karen Weyant; fiction by Sean Conaway, Joyce Goldenstern, Paul Jaskunas, and Dan Mancilla; and nonfiction by Chelsey Clammer.

In the near future, the editors hope to add music and short films to the website as well as develop a team of regular reviewers to “spotlight Americana-themed books.” Eventually, they would like to become a print publication, perhaps even publishing some chapbooks and books.

Other editors include Poetry Editors Karrie Waarala and Tim Hunt, Prose Editors Lauren Alwan and Lindsey Griffin, and Photography/Art Editor Jennifer Joy Jameson.

The next reading period is the month of December. Submissions can be sent via email with full guidelines on their website. “We hope you’ll add submitting to us to your holiday to-do lists,” Hamm says.

New Academic Journal :: Word Hoard

Peer edited and drawing on an editorial presence that includes students from the Centre for American Studies, the Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism, Modern Languages and Literatures, Comparative Literature, Women’s Studies & Feminist Research, and the Department of English, Word Hoard is a new community journal supported by Western University’s Graduate English Society.

Word Hoard is currently soliciting articles, essays, and interviews for their second issue. They invite submissions between 3000-5000 words related to the provocation and concept of “The Unrecyclable.” Article and interview submissions are due 15 January, 2013. Accepted submissions can expect online and print publication in the summer of 2013.

Current Issue: Volume 1, Issue 1 (2012)
Community and Dissent

Articles available full-text (PDF) online:

Editors’ Introduction: Leif Schenstead-Harris, Nina Budabin McQuown, and Kevin Godbout

“Prometheus Queer: An Interview With Daniel Allen Cox” by Matthew Halse and Dock Currie

“The Progeny of Prometheus: Solidarity as Gift” by Mary Eileen Wennekers

“Identity, Memory and Place” by Kelly Baker

“Queer Spaces and Strategic Social Constructions in Rao’s The Boyfriend” by Frederick D. King

“Embracing Identity Politics as a Way of Dealing with a Self in Crisis in Edmund White’s The Married Man” by Zied Khemakhem

“Nationalism, Community, Literature” by Christopher Langlois

“Leadership, Authenticity, and the Arendtian World” by Rita A. Gardiner

“Leadership and Pedagogy in the Arts and Humanities: An Interview with Alison Conway and Joel Faflak” by Diana Samu-Visser and Nina Budabin McQuown

“Patricia Grace’s Potiki: A Case Study for the Adaptability of Postcolonial Theory to Indigenous Literature” by Karim Abuawad

“Publishing and Reading as Dissent: Resistance, Literary Tourism and Arsenal Pulp Press” by Casey Stepaniuk

“1984, Genesis Upside Down” by Jamie Rooney

“A Walking Tour of Light” by Leif Schenstead-Harris

“’& Then’: Word Hoard’s Closing Remarks” by Leif Schenstead-Harris, Nina Budabin McQuown, and Kevin Godbout

New Lit on the Block :: Phoenix in the Jacuzzi Journal

“What if a phoenix were to ignite in a Jacuzzi? Would anyone notice? Would the phoenix be reborn?” These are the questions that Editor Nicholas Wilsey asks. “I like to think the phoenix would reenter the world in a state of relaxation: a cool drink in its beak; a warm, bubbly feeling climbing up its wings,” he says. And thus, the name of his new literary magazine was born.

Phoenix in the Jacuzzi Journal is a print magazine that publishes at least twice a year in the spring in the fall. There is a possibility of having multiple issues in the spring and fall or a special issue in the winter and summer. They publish poems and short prose pieces.

“I am beginning to talk with other journals about doing a joint reading on the poetry-focused radio show I DJ, The Eggshell Parade,” Wilsey says. “I also intend to do an issue that includes a CD of musical adaptations of the issue’s pieces. I am going to have a lot of fun with PJJ. I invite readers and contributors to have a lof of fun with PJJ, Joe (Weil, Consigliere), and me.”

The inaugural issue features new writing from Grace Bauer, Adam Fitzgerald, Howie Good, Michael Homolka, Paul Hostovsky, Bridget Lowe, Andrew Nurkin, K.M.A. Sullivan, and Anne Valente.

PJJ accepts submissions through email. Authors whose work is accepted are invited to read on The Eggshell Parade.

New Lit on the Block :: Sundog Lit

Sundog Lit is a brand new online magazine (which I recently reviewed on Screen Reading) that quarterly publishes literary fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid works as well as occasional video, photography, and art. “We started this magazine because we were tired of quiet lit, stories where nothing happens and people stand around, idle, wondering about life instead of living it,” says Managing/Founding Editor Justin Lawrence Daugherty. “Our mission is to publish literature that scorches the earth. We don’t want quiet. We want it loud and incendiary.”

The name comes from an atmospheric phenomenon in which bright spots of light appear in the sky near the sun, sometimes making it seem as if the sun were wearing a halo. Daugherty says that this dual-sun image was perfect to describe their magazine, one in which was about both serious literature and about being “active, destructive, generating, and explosive.”

The editors aim to leave an imprint on their readers, allowing the literature to stick with them even after the internet browser is closed. Daugherty also expresses that readers will find a community of writers. “We promote work through our Friday Rex series, book-promotions such as in our current Texts Inspired by Robert Kloss’ The Alligators of Abraham series.” In time, they hope to bring in more hybrid works and experimental essays, photography and art, contests, and themed issues.

The first issue includes fiction from Lindsay Hunter, Casey Hannan, Aaron Teel, Ryan Werner, Edward Hagelstein, Helen McClory, and Jesse Hertz; nonfiction from Matthew Gavin Frank, Laura Zak, and Will Kaufman; and poetry from Bianca Diaz, Sarah Wynn, Donald Parker, Jenna Lynch, Cameron Witbeck, Daniel Romo, Charles Rafferty, and Valentina Cano.

The deadline for the next issue is mid-January, and Sundog Lit accepts submissions through Submittable. The other editors of the magazine include Fiction Editor Mensah Demary, Nonfiction Editor Richard Hackler, Poetry Editors Zarah Moeggenberg and Amy Pajewski, and Website Design and Nonfiction Editor Cynthia Brandon Slocum.

New Lit on the Block :: Mount Hope

Roger Williams University—situated on the shore of Mount Hope Bay in Rhode Island—is putting out a new biannual magazine called Mount Hope. It is available as a print issue as well as online via Issuu. They are looking for “good, literary, readable stories and poems” as well as essays and memoir. “Beyond writing,” says Editor Edward J. Delaney, “we like to run photography and graphic storytelling—a segment of a graphic novel or a stand-alone—with an emphasis on storytelling and literary merit.

Delaney says that Mount Hope is “the latest iteration of the literary magazine published for four decades at RWU, which has one of the first BFA Creative Writing Programs in the U.S., recently celebrating its 40th anniversary. Our mission is to give students hands-on experience and to support writers and the writing community.” Alongside Delaney is Poetry Editor Shelley Puhak and Adam Braver, writer-in-residence.

Within the magazine, readers will enjoy realistic, quality writing. “We favor stories in which something happens, and poetry that is not for insiders only,” says Delaney. They hope to “be a venue for lively work of interest to a general readership.”

The first issue features Steve Almond (nonfiction), Michael Cirelli, Christopher Hennessey (poetry), Denis Darzacq (photography), Matthew Hall (graphic novel), and interviews with Rick Moody and Lynne Sharon Schwartz.

They take submissions via email year-round with a three to six month cycle turn-around response. They accept simultaneous submissions.

New Lit on the Block :: Paradise Review

Paradise Review is a brand new online quarterly magazine featuring fiction, poetry, and visual art. Editor Joseph Han says that, along with his co-editor Joseph D. Lewis and poetry editor Lindsey Appleton, they want “to join the various online literary community already fostering across the globe, highlighting the hard work of writers who dare to put themselves out there with the hope of having their voices read and heard.”

The name refers to the location of the publication and also means “to communicate the idea that as an online mag, with work coming from absolutely anywhere, paradise is relative as a sense of accomplishment, state of mind/being, or physical space.” Han says that readers can expect to find “stories and poems that have moved and startled the staff as readers themselves, those that have begged to be shared and featured.”

The first issue features fiction from John Abbott, Nicholas T. Brown, Keith Rebec, and Stephanie Wilson; poetry from Daniel Wilcox, James Robinson, James Piatt, Michelle Matthees, Stan Galloway, Yevgeniy Levitskiy, Yvette A. Schnoeker-Shorb, and Zvi A. Sesling; and visual art from Jenean McBrearty, Karim Hetherington, and Sarah Edwards.

Han says that they hope to eventually become a monthly publication that features local and national writers. “We want to see a writer’s best,” he says. “By that, we mean writing that is believed in despite the preferences of other publications and the need to emulate different styles, literary figures, or contemporaries.” Submissions are accepted through Submittable.

New Lit on the Block :: Frequencies

The book publishing company Two Dollar Radio is starting a new project: a biannual print magazine called Frequencies. “We never set out to duplicate what others are doing and already doing well,” says Editor Eric Obenauf. “Artful essays cover an area that we felt wasn’t being sufficiently represented. With some inspiration from Occupy Wall Street, we wanted to champion work that celebrated the individual through both voice and vision. We’re billing Frequencies as a grungier, less self-righteous Harper’s.”

Obenauf says that readers can expect to find artful essays that “challenge the current nonfiction prescription.” Each issue has cover art and illustrations by John Gagliano. “The idea was to create a really taut arena,” says Obenauf, “so there are no empty calories in the form of music or book reviews, no random filler just to increase page count, which ideally totals an attractive space for writers to showcase their work.”

Alongside Obenauf is the interviews editor, Emily Pullen who, in the first issue, interviews poet Anne Carson. Other writers in the first issue include Blake Butler, Joshua Cohen, Tracy Rose Keaton, and Scott McClanahan with photography by Morgan Kendall.

The second issue “will feature Sara Finnerty on ghosts, Roxane Gay on issues of belonging in middle class black America, Alex Jung on the gay sex tourist trade in Thailand, Kate Zambreno on actress/director Barbara Loden, and more.”

Frequencies accepts submissions on a rolling basis; completed submissions can be sent via email as attachments. Frequencies does pay for published work. Please see the website for submission information.

New Lit on the Block :: Lunch Ticket

Lunch Ticket is a new online biannual magazine that evokes “school, hanging with friends, having interesting discussions over bologna sandwiches.” The name comes from a program Antioch University Los Angeles used to have in which a new student would be paired with an experienced student for lunch and given a “lunch ticket.” Current Editor-in-Chief Lise Quintana says that since Antioch is one of the top 5 low-residency MFA programs in the country and didn’t have its own literary magazine, there was a clear need to start Lunch Ticket. “[It] exists both to showcase great literary talent and to support Antioch University Los Angeles’s mission of social justice,” Quintana says.

She says that you can expect to find “interviews with interesting and important authors (our premier issue had an interview with Natasha Trethewey, poet laureate of the United States), essays on social justice issues, and great writing by authors from all over.”

The staff are all current MFA students at Antioch. “We know what it’s like putting yourself out there,” says Quintana, “and we appreciate the support we’ve been shown.” The editors vary per issue, but currently the editor-in-chief is Quintana, the fiction editor is Kathleen Rohr, the Writing for Young People editor is Kristen Schroer, the creative nonfiction editor is Wendy Fontaine, the poetry editor is Janice Luo, and the art editor is Audrey Mandelbaum.

The first issue features interviews by Natasha Trethewey, Gregory Boyle, Rick Moody, and Francesca Lia Block; essays by Naomi Benaron and Nancy L. Conyers; fiction by Jennifer A. Orth-Veillon, Jessica Pitchford, Diana Payne, Kyle Hemmings, Jenny Dunning, Terry Sanville, and LaToya Watkins; creative nonfiction by Andy Johnson (nominated for a Pushcart Prize), Mark Brazaitis, Sion Dayson, and John Calderazzo; Writing for Young People by G. Neri; and poetry by Andrei Guruianu, Hugh Behm-Steinberg, James Valdis, Nate Pritts, Martin Ott and John F. Buckley, Sheila Black, George Bishop, Yim Tang Wong, R L Swihart, Derek Pollard, Eleanor Levine, Lois Marie Harrod, Dina Hardy, Ricky Garni, Valentina Cano, and Gabriel Cabrera.

In the future, the staff would like “a more ambitious art section, incorporating more writing about art.” The would also like to create a best-of anthology as a print-on-demand hardcopy book.

The current reading period ends at the end of this month and is reopened in March, although writers and artists can send their submissions at any time. Submissions can be sent through Submittable.

New Lit on the Block :: Blue Lyra Review

Blue Lyra Review is a new online venture that publishes poetry, nonfiction, translations, and artistic imagery three times a year, with a print issue at the end of December (beginning in 2013). “Our aim,” says M. E. Silverman, poetry and art editor, “is to bring together the voices of writers and artists from a diverse array of backgrounds, paying special homage to Jewish writers and other communities that are historically underrepresented in literary magazines.”

Silverman tells the story of the origin of the magazine’s name: “One of the most difficult decisions was coming up with a name that was not already taken, and had a free domain available! So after inquiring with some acquaintances and colleagues, I finally stumbled onto an idea while watching my daughter play Rocket Girl. I have always loved blues and jazz and the color blue. I loved the echo of sound in ‘review’ and ‘blue’, but I also liked the color for the connection to Israel. But Blue Review? Then I remembered the story of Lyra. The Greeks believed after Orpheus died, Zeus sent an eagle to get his lyre and then Zeus placed both in the sky. Now it is one of the 88 constellations (according to International Astronomical Union) with the second brightest star in the northern hemisphere. One can only hope to strive for so much, and I wish all of our acceptances soar so high!”

Silverman—along with Adrienne Ross Scanlan, nonfiction editor; Nancy Naomi Carlson, translation editor; B. Kari Moore, fiction editor; Lenore Weiss, copy editor; and Laura Hong, web editor—will present “a beautiful array of diverse voices” within the publication.

The first issue includes poetry from Marge Piercy, Lyn Lifshin, John Wood, Jeff Friedman, Gene Doty, Peter Serchuk, Jeannie Hall Gailey, and others; essays from Terry Persun, Neil Mathison, Sarah Corbett Morgan, Sue Eisenfeld, and Louis Bourgeois; and artistic work by Robin Grotke and Ginn Conn.

Blue Lyra Review accepts submissions through Submittable but is not looking for horror, westerns, anything offensive, or mixed media art. Currently, they are considering book reviews of Jewish poets; should you be interested, contact the editors through the website.

New Lit on the Block :: Swamp Biscuits and Tea

Swamp Biscuits and Tea, a new quarterly online magazine, publishes magic realism, literary fiction, slipstream, noir, surrealist, bizarre, weird tale, experimental, science fiction, absurdist, mystery, hard-boiled, quirky, fantasy, and cross-genre. Editor Henry Sane says, “there’s no deep or exciting story behind the name.” He and Co-Editor Joseph German tried to come up with something that “would capture a certain style—a certain mental image, something that would get people interested and get their imaginations flowing while at the same time exuding our aesthetic of strangeness and wonder.”

Sane says that readers can expect to find “good, imaginative fiction.” He says, “Nearly every story we publish will offer some speculative element, whether subtle or outlandish. So if you like weird—whether it’s hidden comfortably in the shadows of a familiar environment, or springing at you like a tentacle-haired wildebeest robot—we think we’ll have something to satisfy your cravings. One of our goals is also to offer readers a series of unforgettable tales, which may be because they are either strange, beautiful, or just too damn engrossing to put down.”

“Joseph and I have always liked the same kind of stuff,” says Sane, “whether it be in art, music, film or literature. Naturally, after many years of profoundly weird conversations, we decided it was time to collaborate on some kind of creative project. As to the nature of the project, that was still uncertain. That is, until one day when inspiration struck me, telling me to create a fiction magazine. ‘We’ll get to name it, design it, and read stories to create our own style,’ I said. ‘Brilliant,’ said Joseph. Since that fateful day, the idea hasn’t lost even an ounce of momentum.”

And if that momentum continues, Sane says that they will consider an annual print issue, cataloguing the best stories of the past year’s worth of issues. “One hope is that we’ll eventually be able to move into full print publication, with eBook, Kindle, etc. as additional options for readers,” he says. “If things go swimmingly, we hope we can one day pay our contributors, and (fingers crossed) make this our livelihood.”

The first issue of Swamp Biscuits and Tea features Alex Aro, C. E. Hyun, Beth Spencer, Marc Lowe, and Adam C. Richardson. Submissions are accepted year-round through email.

New Lit on the Block :: The Liner

The Liner is a new annual print publication that publishes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and visaul art from both established and emerging artists and writers. Since The Liner is a transatlantic collaboration,” says Co-Editor Gloria Kim, “we were envisioning crossing water when thinking of possible names. The Liner was a good fit.” Kim says that she and Co-Editor Emma Silverthorn threw around the idea of staring their own magazine while “attending a summer literary festival in Cornwall, England, in between hearing writers, getting lost in garden mazes, and rolling down Port Eliot’s hills. As writers ourselves,” she says, “we wanted to feature perspectives, whether in writing or in art, that compelled us to create more.”

Kim says readers can expect to find “a high calibre, eclectic mix of original works from both established and emerging artists and writers. Plus our Thornkim Questionnaire, 21 revealing questions answered by all of our contributors in the back of the magazine.” In the future, they hope to become a biannual publication. Kim also adds that they are proud of the scope and international flavor of the magazine and hope to continue on with that, “gaining more worldwide distributors as well as contributors.”

The first issue includes writers Maura Dooley, Blake Morrison, Sherard Harrington, William Doreski, Lisa Wong Macabasco, Kenneth Pobo, Caitlin E. Thomson, and Gina Zupsich and visual artists Dave Carswell, Christopher Daniels, Benjamin Edmiston, and Dominic Silverthorn.

The Liner
‘s next issue will have an epistolary theme. “We want your correspondences, real or imagined, scandalous or humorous, digital or paper,” says Kim. The deadline to submit is October 21, 2012.

New Lit on the Block :: BLACKBERRY

BLACKBERRY is a new quarterly magazine available in print and as digital copy that “aims to be a premier literary magazine featuring black women writers and artists. Its goal is to expose readers to the diversity of the black woman’s experience and strengthen the black female voice in both the mainstream and independent markets.” The magazine features non-fiction, fiction, all forms of poetry, photography and artwork.

Editor Alisha Sommer said that the name was inspired from the phrase “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice” when she was wandering around the French Quarter. “BLACKBERRY: a magazine is born out of my passion to giving others a voice,” she says. “It will give African-American women a new platform to share their art. Our voice is one that is often silenced, and BLACKBERRY: a magazine will be our megaphone.” During a visit to the New Orleans Museum of Art, she “disappointed that a city with such a large black population did not have a significant representation of black artists. The feelings I felt that day,” she says, “were the same feelings that have been sitting with me for the past year: disappointment and confusion. After having a conversation with a friend about the need to help women of color gain access and give them exposure, I decided that it was time to act.”

The first issue features art and photography by Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné, Jessica Valoris, Jessica Serran, Danielle Scrugs, Eleanor Leonne Bennett, Danielle Scrugs, Keondra Bills, and Margaret Jacobsen; non-fiction by Ekua Adisa and Nikita T. Mitchell; poetry by Nia Hampton, Jessica Valoris, Raquelle Mayoral, Amina Ross, Rose Smith, Arianna Payson, Celeste Jona, Athena Dixon, Althea Romeo-Mark, Leesa Cross-Smith, Keondra Bills, Keyaira Olivia Kelly, Artemis Steakley-Freeman, Samantha BanDavad and Stephania Byrd; and prose by Debra Stone and Jessica Lynne.

Submissions are accepted through Submittable and should be inspired by the issue’s theme. The next theme is “Belief,” and submissions are due by August 1, 2012.

New Lit on the Block :: Mixitini Matrix

Mixitini Matrix is a new “multigenre, multidisciplinary journal of creative collaboration.” Published twice a year online only, they feature fiction, nonfiction, poetry, short plays, and visual art that has been created by two or more people. Editor Leslie LaChance describes the name of the name of the magazine as the following:

Mixitini – noun. 1. a portmanteau word intended to suggest spirited concoction. 2. a spirited concoction of diminutive proportions.

Matrix – noun. 1. the birthplace of spirited concoction. 2. stuff that dreams are made of. 3. a place where something grows.

Collaboration – noun 1. the state of being in cahoots with. 2. serendipity.

LaChance and the other editor, Mattie Davenport, “are fascinated when creative minds work in collaboration with other creative minds,” says LaChance. “We are charmed by serendipity and awed by creative synergy. Our magazine seeks to celebrate the connectedness of collaborative art in a seemingly fragmented world.” She says that readers can expect to find work from emerging and established writers and artists. “Readers may find a traditional ekphrastic poem or a nature photograph published in the same issue as an experimental media collaboration or an email chain poem. We seek to expand the definition of collaboration, to acknowledge the collaborative in its broadest sense, so we aim to publish work which will do exactly that.”

The first issue features Marilyn Kallet, Wayne White, Brian Griffin, Jack Rentfro, Laura Still, Dorothee Lang, Julia Davies, Steve Wing, Joe Kendrick, Rachel Joiner, JeFF Stumpo, Leonardo Ramirez, Henri Michaux, Darren Jackson, William Henderson and Clint Alexander.

Mixitini Matrix hopes to continue publishing twice a year and possibly moving to quarterly. LaChance says they hope to “eventually offer high quality printed chapbook and broadside editions of our contributors’ work.”

Submissions are accepted until August 31 through Submittable for the next issue. All work should address, in some way, the concept of collaboration.

New Lit on the Block :: Paper Nautilus

Paper Nautilus, a new annual print magazine, is named after the tiny species of octopus with the same name. “They’re born by hatching out of very delicate eggs that look like nautilus sea shells,” says Editor-in-Chief Lisa Mangini. “It’s said to be rare to find one of these shells intact, since they’re so fragile. When I learned about this animal, it just seemed like the perfect fit for what I would want in a literary publication: the rare instance of finding something intact, and also the necessity of breaking through the thing that encases us so we can live our lives. It just seemed like the perfect emblem for what a writer does.” She says she wanted to start the literary magazine to create another space “for all that fine work so it could be enjoyed.”

Working with Assistant Poetry Editor Joey Gould, Mangini publishes a variety of poetry and fiction. “We also have a section we call ‘aphorisms,’ which is literature that can be fit into 160 characters or less,” she says. “We’re very open-minded, and make a point of trying to see beyond our own aesthetic and appreciate the strengths and merits of a piece that’s outside our style. And I think most work is also enjoyable for a reader who may not be a writer; the majority of works in Paper Nautilus are accessible to someone who’s just reading for pleasure.”

Mangini says they just launched a chapbook contest and would like to continue with this venture, publishing one to two chapbooks a year. In addition, she thought it would be neat to include a blog about craft, revision, and technique. “We are looking at expanding into digital issues as well,” she says, “but it may be some time before we fully launch that page. But we do have some featured pieces accessible at our website.”

The first issue includes poetry from Carol Berh, Lisa J. Cihlar, Trent Busch, Tobi Cogswell, James Connaster, Gregory Crosby, Barbara Daniels, Lori Desrosiers, Nandini Dhar, William Doreski, Kate Falvey, Marta Ferguson, Lauren Fisk, Ryan Fitzgerald, Ruth Foley, Ian Ganassi, Howie Good, Vivianne Grabinski, George Guida Kyle Hemings, Marianna Hofer, Paul Hostovsky, Nathaniel Hunt, Danielle Jones-Pruett, Tessa Kale, P. Kobylarz, Deirdre LaPenna, Henry W. Leung, Nancy Long, Terry Martin, John McKernan, Michael P. McManus,Colleen Michaels, Raphael Miguel Montes, Rick Murphy, Dianne Nelson Oberhansly, Janet Parlato, Simon Perchik, Marjorie Power, Megan Cowen, Charles Rafferty, Sarah Rizzuto, Jay Rubin, Meredith Sticker, Elizabeth Szewczyk, Meredith Trede, Edwina Trentham, David Walker, Eric Wescott, and William Kelley Woolfitt as well as fiction from Jessica Barksdale, Darren Cormier, James Fowler, Tim Parrish, Jeanette Samuels, Clint Smith, April Sopkin, and Adrian Stumpp.

Submissions are accepted year-round through Paper Nautilus’s online submission manager. Simultaneous submissions are fine as long as the writer withdraws the work upon acceptance elsewhere.

New Lit on the Block :: The New Poet

Editor David Svenson says that within the pages of The New Poet, a new online magazine, readers will find “strong, vivid poems that utilize imagistic and narrative styles.”

“As a poet,” says Svenson, “I read to not only discover new work and trends, but also for inspiration. I started The New Poet to witness exciting developments in poetry firsthand and to share these discoveries with others. I also understand the value of encouraging others to keep writing. With three issues a year and a mission to find new and exciting work, The New Poet also serves as inspiration to other writers to push their own limits.”

The first issue features poetry from Wendy Carlisle, Paul Hostovsky, Allie Marini Batts, Andrea Potos, Lana Rakhman, Alexis Sellas, Tim Suermondt, Tim Tomlinson, Theresa Williams, and Axel Wright. And the second issue features Kate Bernadette Benedict, Thomas J. Erickson, Caitlin McLean, Jesse Millner, Sue Morgan, John Palen, Ned Randle, Colin Sargent, Martin Willitts Jr., and Laura Madeline Wiseman.

Currently, The New Poet publishes only poetry–of all kinds–but hopes to include book reviews and interviews in the future. Submissions for issue 3 are currently being accepted through Submittable.

New Lit on the Block :: The Ilanot Review

The Ilanot Review, published online biannually, is affiliated with the creative writing program at Bar-Ilan University. Editor Janice Weizman says that Ilanot also means “young trees” in Hebrew—“which is a nice metaphor for new writing.” Marcela Sulak, Nadia Jacobson, Karen Marron, Jane Medved, and Karen Boxenhorn also serve as editors for the magazine.

“Originally, we wanted to give a platform for English writing coming out of Israel,” Weizman says. “Today, we accept writing from anywhere in the world.” She explains that readers can expect to find “fresh and striking prose and poetry, English translations of literature from other languages—particularly Hebrew but other languages as well—interviews with published poets and writers, and thought provoking themed issues.”

The Ilanot Review’s first publication includes well known names such as Mark Mirsky, Joan Leegant, Michael Collier, E. Ethlebert Miller, and Gerald Stern as well as several emerging poets and writers. “We launch every issue with a public reading by contributors in fun and memorable venues,” Weizman says.

Writers can submit to The Ilanot Review through Submittable through October 30, 2012 for the next themed issue: “Foreign Bodies.”

New Lit on the Block :: The Drunken Odyssey with John King Podcast

The Drunken Odyssey with John King: A Podcast About the Writing Life is a new weekly podcast that features interviews with established writers about the writing life. Editor John King explains that each episode will also have a memoir essay about a writer’s relationship to a beloved book. “Each episode,” he says, “will close with me responding to listener mail. All aspects of the writing life—including any possible genre—will be discussed.”

King says that the name of the podcast “invokes both the mythos of the writer as drinker, and also the mythos of the writer as heroic misadventurer. Both identities can overlap. But liquor is not the only path to drunkenness. As the late ray Bradbury said, ‘You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.’”

King says, “Writing is an isolating activity, and discussion of writing in the media prioritizes the finished product of writing. This podcast, then, is an opportunity to build a sense of community among writers, and to offer some catharsis in discussing the struggle of writing, and all aspects of this business of writing, rather than merely the accomplishments of writing.”

The first podcast includes an interview with Nathan Holic, an editor, and Ryan Rivas, a publisher, who are behind the 15 Views of Orlando project and a memoir essay from Olivia Kate Cerrone which discusses her relationship to Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. King says that future episodes will have interviews with Lisa Claire Roney, the Shakespearean actor Kevin Crawford, and novelist Darin Strauss.

King is looking for content, especially memoir essays about beloved books. He is also looking forward to responding to listener mail and encourages listeners to write to him through the contact information on the site.

New Lit on the Block :: Sawmill Magazine

Sawmill Magazine, a new online magazine, offers up six issues a year, two for each of the genres: fiction, poetry, and comics. Sawmill was created as a “digital sister” to Typecast Publishing’s print magazine, The Lumberyard. Fiction Editor Wesley Fairman, says, “We felt it was only fitting that we develop a name for our web-based magazine that recalled The Lumberyard and evoked similar feelings of creation, industry, and precision. We wanted a place to play, to test ideas, and to begin building relationships with writers and visual artists that, hopefully, lead to bigger projects down the road. Much in the way the sawmill is the first step for building materials before they reach the lumberyard, Sawmill the magazine is the birthplace for the future of Typecast.”

The rest of the editorial team includes Comics Editor Jake Snider and Poetry Editor Jen Woods. Fiction will be published each January and July, comics each March and September, and poetry each May and November. “With each issue,” says Fairman, “the editors will seek to forge partnerships with authors, illustrators, and graphic designers in order to present digital packaging as gorgeous and important as the literature housed within.

“When you open Sawmill, expect to see something unusual and engaging. Be it a short story wrapped in an experimental graphic design scheme, a poem that makes you choke on your breath, or a hand-drawn, one-of-a-kind comic. Never ordinary, and always pushing the boundaries of what has come before, Sawmill seeks only to find a way to delight you, and fill you with as much joy as any book you’ve ever held in your hands.”

Fairman says that Typecast Publishing enjoys working with magazines because it allows them to “work with a multitude of creative forces at one time.” She says that offering an online magazine allowed the publishing company to continue to work with magazines but in a new way. “We wanted to pose the same challenges we face in our print objects to the digital format—mainly how to bring intimacy and depth to the reading experience in a way that honors the text. And digital was exciting because it allowed us to create something we could offer for free.”

The first issue include comics from Ken Henson, Maureen Fellinger, and Megan Stanton and fiction from Kirby Gann, David James Poissant, Mark Jacobs, Kristin Matly Dennis, and Matt Dobson (Publication Design).

As the magazine develops, the editors hope to add a behind the scenes feature “where the reader can pull back the proverbial curtain and see the trials and triumphs of developing a literary magazine. Additionally,” Fairman says, “we also hope to develop a print on demand feature for readers who prefer physical copies of the literary magazines they love.”

Because there are six issues a year, submissions are accepted via email throughout most of the year.

New Scholarly Journal :: The Hare

Edited by Jeremy Lopez and Paul Menzer, The Hare is a peer-reviewed, on-line academic journal published three times yearly. The journal publishes short essays on the dramatic, poetic, and prose works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. The journal also publishes academic book reviews, and provides a public forum for open exchange between scholars in the field. The Hare seeks short essays on all topics related to early modern literature – poetry, prose, and drama as well as reviews of “old” – classic, foundational, seminal, unjustly forgotten, etc. – books.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New Lit on the Block :: Devilfish Review

Available online quarterly, Devilfish Review publishes fiction and flash fiction, with a preference for literary science fiction and fantasy.

When asked about their motivation for starting up a new literary magazine, Editors Sarah McDonald and Cathy Lopez comment, “It’s a bit daunting to think of why to start a new publication. There are plenty of places out there where we could go to read stories we like. But we wondered, what were we missing? What if there were stories out there that we would love that weren’t being published? That just wouldn’t do. We prefer to take science fiction, fantasy, and things of the odd persuasion, because these are the sorts of stories that entertain us. In turn, readers can expect well-written entertaining stories that will stick with them long after reading.”

Contributors in the first issue include Amber Burke, Julie Wakeman-Linn, Katherine Horrigan, Kimberly Prijatel, Alonzo Tillison, Kenneth Poyner, Adrienne Clarke, Jessica Hagemann, Jason Newport, and Christopher Woods.

Going forward, McDonald says, “Our short term goal is to grow to a monthly publication. Our longer term goal is to be in a place where we can pay our contributors, because we would be literally nothing without them. Ultimately, Devilfish Review hopes to grow into Devilfish Press and expand into book publishing.“

Devilfish Review is currently looking for fiction and flash fiction with submissions accepted via Submittable.

New Lit on the Block :: 3QR: The Three Quarter Review

According to Editor Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson, 3QR: The Three Quarter Review publishes “Poetry & Prose > 75 Percent True” as well as photography, video, and audio “that tells stories with a twist.”

This new literary annual is available online and in the future will be made available in paper copies. 3QR News also offers a literary blog that features their writers’ ongoing work as well as issues related to genre-crossover writing.

Simpson tells me that “3QR: The Three Quarter Review is a unique literary project and online journal featuring the mostly true work of such writers as Stephen Dixon, Jessica Anya Blau, Marilyn L. Taylor, and others. The inaugural issue offers poetry, essays, and prose pieces that are at least three-quarters fact. Our writers stretch out, capturing the essence of realist writing without the censorship of categories (Is it fiction? Is it nonfiction? What is truth?). There’s no betrayal for readers, who are often left wondering about the infallibility of memory or observation; or, in fiction, whether some things ‘really happened.’ 3QR instead creates a Fifth Genre: The Three Quarter True Story. Readers can expect to find compelling essays, stories, memoir, and poetry that capture the essence of truth in storytelling.”

Contributors to the first issues include Stephen Dixon, Jessica Anya Blau, Marilyn L. Taylor, Edward Perlman, Charles Talkoff, B.J. Hollars, Philip Sultz, Dario DiBattista, Ann Eichler Kolakowski, Jennifer Holden Ward, and Brandi Dawn Henderson.

Future plans for 3QR: The Three Quarter Review include adding digital storytelling features, including photo essays, video, and music. Updates on 3QR News will include a listing of readings, panel discussions, and other live events related to the journal and theme.

3QR is now accepting submissions for their Winter issue via traditional mail only (though editors communicate electronically once a piece is accepted). Remember: Submissions must be at least 75 percent true.

New Lit on the Block :: The Cossack Review

Edited by Christine Gosnay and Ruben Quesada, The Cossack Review is a tri-annual publication of new fiction, poetry, original translations, creative nonfiction, essays, photography, illustrative art, and reviews. The Cossack Review can be read online (PDF, Kindle) or in print as of Issue 2 (due out October 1) with additional online content.

Gosnay explains that the name of the publication is a historical reference: “The appearance of Cossacks – Slavic peoples, often mounted on horseback, militaristic, proud, flawed, and complicated – in Russian literature has always fascinated me. Their appearance as confounding, almost mythic characters who ride in, seize, disturb, take note, and then return to their land was explored by Gogol, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Tsvetaeva and many other writers. Naming the journal The Cossack Review is a nod to the quality of power, troubled mythos, unsettling beauty, and quest for understanding that great writing imparts to its readers.”

With such a strong historical connection to literature, Gosnay says she started The Cossack Review as a way to continue this tradition: “As a reader of literary journals and magazines who has often known the unique joy of discovering a poem or short story that reveals something I never knew about the world, I wanted to build a journal that could focus on just that – showcasing exceptional new writing that delights, and that uncovers truths about our shared experience. Issue 1 showcases beautiful, surprising poetry and fiction that is rich with imagery, pathos, humor, and psychological understanding. Stories that you wouldn’t believe, that make you read twice. Nonfiction that understands you, that can relate and teach, and is enhanced by stunning photography to accompany the writing.”

The inaugural issue of The Cossack Review features poetry by Paul David Adkins, Maureen Alsop, Jacob Cribbs, Adam Crittenden, Oliver de la Paz, William Doreski, Teneice Durrant Delgado, Brian Gatz, Anne Haines, T.R. Hummer, Russell Jaffe, Lindsey Lewis Smithson, Linda Martin, Charles McCrory, Kristina Moriconi, John Palen, John Phillips, Tim Suermondt, José-Flore Tappy, and Eric M.R. Webb; fiction by Soren Gauger, Kimberly Hatfield, Bryan Jones, Olive Mullet, Patty Somlo, and David Swykert; and nonfiction by Robert Boucheron, Valery Petrovskiy, Phillip Polefrone, and Apryl Sniffen.

Gosnay and Quesada have great plans for the journal, which will go into print on October 1, 2012 with the launch of Issue 2. It will be featured in bookstores around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. On off-months, they will be featuring an online supplement. The Cossack Review staff is also looking forward to attending the AWP 2013 Conference in Boston and starting a reading series as well in the new year.

Submissions are accepted year-round for print editions of the journal as well as the online supplements. The editors encourage you to send in your best unpublished poetry, fiction, and nonfiction via Submittable. Simultaneous submissions are welcome.

The Cossack Review is also looking to bring on a fiction editor soon and welcomes inquiries if you are interested in becoming a submissions reader for their journal.

New Lit on the Block :: Educe Journal

Educe Journal is an online quarterly of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and hybrid/visual artist showcase. Edited by Matthew R. K. Haynes, Eudice Journal is available in print, PDF, ePub, and iPad reading formats.

Haynes says the motivation for publishing Educe Journal is a commitment to “showcasing visual artists and publishing innovative literary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction by established and emerging writers from the queer community.” With “Queer = Other,” he adds.

In each issue, readers can expect to find up to 100 pages of quality fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as one visual artist who dons the covers with a mid-issue spread.

Contributors to the first issue include Richard Atwood, Steven Matthew Brown, Charles Casey, Ezra Dan Feldman, Reed Hearne, TT Jax, Thomas Kearnes, Sarah Merkle, John Pluecker, Heather Stewart, Vicente Viraym, and Visual Artist Eleanor Leonne Bennett.

Haynes hopes that Educe Journal will make its mark as a continuing quarterly queer literary journal. And while he hopes Educe Journal will have more of a presence in the print community, the publication is “committed to the efficiency and environmental advantages of being an e-publication viewable on any computer and specifically slated for the Apple iPad.”

Educe Journal is looking for LITERARY fiction/nonfiction/poetry submissions from queer folk across the Globe with multicultural submissions encouraged. Educe Journal is also interested in submissions from visual artists as each issue will feature one artist, whose work will be used for the cover. The deadline for submissions is ongoing; see the publication website for more details.

New Lit on the Block :: Thrush Poetry Journal

Thrush Poetry Journal is published by Thrush Press electronically bi-monthly (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep & Nov) with a print annual “Best of.” Thrush Press also offers select poetry chapbooks and other poetry ephemera that the editors find of interest.

Founder and  Editor in Chief Helen Vitoria started Thrush Poetry Journal “to provide a place where great poets and amazing poetry are featured in an elegant, simple design, without any distractions.” She is joined in this mission by Associate Editor and Web Designer Walter Bjorkman in providing readers with “the best poetry available to us.”

Some contributors to Thrush Poetry Journal include Maureen Alsop, Hélène Cardona, Cindy Goff, Nathalie Handal, Anna Journey, Ada Limón, Rachel McKibbens, Sheila Nickerson, Amber Tamblyn, and Ocean Vuong.

New Lit on the Block :: Cactus Heart

Cactus Heart is a new PDF quarterly of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, and art edited by Sara Rauch.

Rauch comments on starting Cactus Heart: “After being in publishing for six years, and a writer for at least double that time, I was inspired to create Cactus Heart as a new forum for engaging work. There are lots of great publications out there, and always more great writers looking to share their work. I wanted to create a literary magazine that felt like a community and a conversation. With all the changes going on in the publishing world, it finally felt possible for me to put together an e-literary magazine – a quality online publication filled with amazing work.”

Cactus Heart readers will be treated to “Spiny, succulent writing! They will find plenty of plot-driven, language-focused fiction, poems that blend images and thoughts seamlessly, deeply felt nonfiction, and full-color photography.”

Contributors in the first issue include Alysia Angel, Glen Armstrong, Eleanor Leonne Bennett, Christine Brandel, Stephanie Callas, Flower Conroy, Sian Cummins, erin feldman, Merlin Flower, Janet Freeman, Diana Gallagher, Christine Gosnay, William Henderson, Courtney Hill Wulsin, Jesse Kuiken, Anthony Lawrence, D Lep, Stewart Lewis, Nico Mara-McKay, Ben Nardolilli, Katrina Pallop, Carol Piva, Jules A Riley, Holly Ringland, Meegan Schreiber, Jenna Whittaker, Theresa Williams, and Christopher Woods.

Rauch hopes to add a print publication to the roster, and possibly move into book publishing as she continues her work with Cactus Heart.

Cactus Heart is currently accepting submissions for the second issue until August 1 – full guidelines are available on the publication website.

New Lit on the Block :: The Manila Envelope

Published quarterly in PDF format, The Manila Envelope features poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and art. While the full version is available only by subscription, selected works can be viewed online.

Literary Editor Cristina Querrer and Art Editor Tiana Madison started The Manila Envelope out of a desire “to present another avenue, another platform for writers and artists to publish their exquisite work.” The editors stress, “We want to offer a nurturing environment for everyone, from established or just-starting-out writers and artists. But we also adhere to our own aesthetic guidelines which can be eclectic. As we go along, read our issues, like us on Facebook, get to know us. The editors of The Manila Envelope are writers and artists too.”

Readers can expect the writing to follow a theme that runs through each issue in a variety of styles with the inaugural issue featuring poetry by Tobi Cogswell, Mark Harris, Andrew Mancuso and Mark Wisniewski; essays by S.C. Barrus, Julio Espin, Bennett Zamoff; and fiction by Stephanie Becerra, Larry Kostroff, Amy Meyerson, and Jeffrey Rubinstein.

Querrer and Madison say future plan for the publication are “to stay awhile and to perhaps be able to offer contest prizes or even a possible print anthology to even quite possibly different platforms and digital versions of our magazine.”

Submissions are accepted through Submittable on a rolling basis with accepted works published in the next available issue.

New Lit on the Block :: phren-Z

phren-Z is a quarterly online literary magazine published by Santa Cruz Writes. phren-Z promotes the work of writers with a connection to Santa Cruz County, California, publishing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, plays, monologues, essays, and interviews.

Editors Karen Ackland (fiction), Julia Chiapella (poetry), and Jory Post (non-fiction, plays, and monologues) started phren-Z “ to develop and sustain a vibrant literary community dedicated to the craft of writing and its ability to inform, reveal, and enchant.” As such, readers can find writing in all genres from both established and emerging writers with a connection to Santa Cruz County, California. The Floodlight section provides in depth coverage on a given topic – a specific writer, event, or other issue of significance to the local literary community.

“phren-Z is community oriented,” say the editors, “so each issue will feature a public reading of contributors work, read by the authors themselves. We also will continue to seek opportunities for writers to get their work in front of the public including, but not limited to, radio performances, community TV performances, and an annual printed edition.”

Works available for online reading include essays by Wallace Baine, Don Rothman, Karen Ackland, Sarah Albertson, Vinnie Hansen, Neal Hellman, and Stephen Kessler; poetry by Carolyn Burke, Farnaz Fatemi, Gary Young, Buzz Anderson, Anna Citrino, Arthur Streshly, and Amber Coverdale Sumral; fiction by Clifford Henderson, Micah Perks, Paul Skenazy, Elizabeth McKenzie and Paula Mahoney, an interview with Karen Tei Yamashita, a monologue by Wilma Marcus Chandler, and “Love Letters Project,” in which nine Santa Cruz authors participated in The Love Letters Project held at The Museum of Art and History (MAH), Bookshop Santa Cruz, and Felix Kulpa Gallery. Each writer was asked to contribute a poem or letter they had written for someone or something they love. Contributors include Wallace Baine, Lauren Crux, Stephanie Golino, Neal Hellman, Cheyenne Street Houck, Erin Johnson, Wincy Lui, Elizabeth McKenzie, and Alyssa Young.

Those wishing to submit can go to phren-Z’s Submit page. A link to Submittable will guide writers through the process.

Additionally, phren-Z is interested in exploring where and how writing intersects with other creative disciplines. The editors seek out events, performances, exhibitions, etc., that offer opportunities for writing within a creative context.

New Lit on the Block :: THE VOLTA

THE VOLTA is a multimedia project of poetry, criticism, poetics, video, conversation (audio), and interview (text). THE VOLTA is home to the following:

Inspired by a piece of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s, EVENING WILL COME is a journal of prose writing, often by poets on the how, what, and why of their writings. Founded in 2010, new issues appear on the first day of each month.

FRIDAY FEATURE presents new reviews of poetry each week.

MEDIUM is a video column and journal, where new videos of writers appear each Friday.

NEWS items of interest (e.g., new books, chapbooks, journals, reading tours, etc.).

THE PLEISTOCENE is an occasional journal of audio conversations with writers, recorded live.

Also inspired by a piece of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s, THEY WILL SEW THE BLUE SAIL is a monthly journal of poetry, featuring a single poem by each of three poets per issue. New issues appear on the first of each month.

TREMOLO features a single interview with a poet, with new issues also appearing on the first day of each month.

THE VOLTA was founded in Tucson, Arizona on December 11, 2011 by Sara Renee Marshall and Joshua Marie Wilkinson. It went live on Sunday January 1, 2012.

Those interested in contributing to THE VOLTA are welcome to contact the editors.

New Lit on the Block :: Birdfeast Magazine

Birdfeast Magazine is a new online quarterly of poetry edited by Jessica Poli. Poli says she started Birdfeast Magazine because “online magazines are making poetry more accessible than ever, and we wanted to take an active part in this. Our mission is to make available the best poetry from both emerging and established writers.”

As such, Birdfeast Magazine offers readers “an eclectic mix of poetry that will make your heart beat a little faster.”

The first two issues features works by Michael Mlekoday, Emma Aylor, Noah Falck, Jake Syersak, Julie Platt, Drew Kalbach, Michelle Disler, Michael Cherry, J. Scott Brownlee, Anhvu Buchanan, David Greenspan, Gregory Sherl, Eszter Takacs, Andrew Terhune, Nathan Blake, Sarah Sloat, Doug Paul Case, and Shannon Hozinec.

Poli says that in addition to continuing the online quarterly, there are ideas for contests in the future, as well as the possibility of incorporating a print aspect to the magazine.

Submissions are accepted through email, and are open year-round. Full submission guidelines can be found at the Birdfeast Magazine website.

New Lit on the Block :: Gambling the Aisle

Gambling the Aisle is a biannual (summer and winter) of fiction, poetry and artwork made available on the web and in PDF.

Editors Patrick Kelling (Fiction), Adam Van Alstyne (Poetry), John Cross (Visual Art) share that they started Gambling the Aisle “because we wanted to provide a space in which writers and artists could express non-cannological work. We believe the terms of art should be dictated by expression of the real, rather than the pursuit of a paycheck. We abhor the factory-produced kitsch designed to empty wallets and suffocate the rebel soul. Instead, we delight in creativity that comes on like a panic attack and illuminates an ill-defined recess.”

Based on this premise, Kelling says that readers will find “some of the visual and language-based work we publish works to exist outside of the traditional literary cannon. Some excels within the this cannon. Hopefully the reader will find it all to be visceral.” The publication also features a visual artist each issue by including both an interview and collection of their work.

Editors of Gambling the Aisle buck genre confinement by identifying contributions only as “Word” or “Image.” Thus, the inaugural issue features Words by Michael Rosenbaum, A. Kilgore, Alla Vilnyanskaya, Matthew Overstreet, Andrew West, Roy Buck, Judith Roney, Cherie Greene, Gina Wohlsdorf, Aimee Campbell, Katherine Brennan, Dorisa Costello, Heather Elliott, Jessica Hagemann, Jordan Antonucci, Kat Stromquist, Kristina Morgan, Mar

New Lit on the Block :: Emerge Literary Journal

Editor Ariana D. Den Bleyker is the driving force behind Emerge Literary Journal, a publication of poetry available quarterly online and biannually in print. Each issue features all new poetry, with the print issues showcasing the “best” material accepted throughout the preceding reading period. Copies of the print issue will be made available through Lulu.

Emerge is aptly named, as Bleyker notes the publication is “dedicated to emerging poets and their words. We aim to publish poets who are currently emerging on the literary scene. We recognize how hard it can be to get those first few publishing credits and hope to be a foundation for the poets seeking to be published here.”

As such, Bleyker offers readers “outstanding, fresh writing from some never before published voices and other emerging writers that may have some publications under their belt with a few established writers sprinkled in between.”

Having just released the second issue, contributors include Kevin Ridgeway, Jennifer Schmitz, Cameron LaFlam, Bryony Noble, Coop Lee, Simon Rhee, Samantha Duncan, Stephen Byrne, Josh Crummer, Robert Cantrell, Zachariah Middleton, Christina Murphy, Nels Hanson, Chloe Clark, Sara Krasnostein, Craig Getz, Athena Dixon, Cody Jensen, Dan Nowak, Steven Myers-Yawnick, Anthony Frame, Jodie Oakes, Aftab Shaikh, Thomas Stevenson, Jordan Taylor, Kyrie Amos, Ricky Garni, SK Iyer, Michelle Hartman, Ann Howells, Vishnu Rajamanickam, Don Illich, Allie Marini Batts, Ruth Quinlin, Danna Hobart, John Kazlauskas, Taylor Pangman, Sarah O’Toole, and James Piatt.

Emerge Literary Journal currently accepts poetry, with a preference for free verse: “words with passion, voice, and place. We look for images that linger, that we can take with us to bed at night, ideas used in magnificent ways. Bring us your castles.” All submissions are accepted through Submittable only, and guidelines can be found on the publication’s website.

Bleyker plans to open the publication up to flash fiction (up to 750 words) by the next reading period, with a limit of four stories per issue.

New Lit on the Block :: The Bad Version

The Bad Version is a new print, digital and online quarterly of fiction, poetry, and “essays of the young and curious.”

The Editors of The Bad Version are Sanders I. Bernstein, Pat Chesnut, Mark Chiusano, Christian Flow, Daniel Howell, Teddy Martin, Kevin Seitz, James Somers, Daniel Wenger, and Esther Yi, with Art Director Trevor Martin and Staff Illustrator Sally Scopa.

Editor Teddy Martin explains the unique approach behind this new venture: “Launched in November 2011, The Bad Version is a new take on the literary-cultural magazine. Its name comes from the collaborative art of screenwriting, where the first attempt at a scene, that wild idea that gets the process going, is called a ‘bad version.’ Likewise, this magazine is dedicated to beginnings: to pieces that are taking risks, trying to broach new ideas, experimenting with new forms, starting new conversations. With each piece — fiction, poetry, or essay — followed by a short response that offers an alternate perspective on the subject at hand, The Bad Version’s novel structure immediately immerses the reader in an active dialogue, which continues on the publication’s website.”

Inside The Bad Version, readers can expect to find “thought-provoking essays on a range of topics pertaining to young life in America today; engaging short stories by up-and-coming young writers; and heart-stopping poetry — along with responses, by editors, contributors, and readers, to these pieces.” Visitors to the publication’s will find ongoing response threads to pieces, as well as a blog, which features “original content and innovative thinking.”

As for the future of The Bad Version, Martin says, “Since publication is all about conversation and expanding what a literary magazine can be, we have always thought of our project as encompassing much more than simply publishing our quarterly journal. In the next year, we plan to expand our community and hold regular collaborative artistic events in the NYC area, where artists and non-artists can come together and share ideas, respond to each other, and generally make things better. We are also committed to education, and will be rolling out our educational initiative in the fall, in the NYC area – furthering our goal of getting people excited about the lifelong practice of writing and sharing ideas with each other.”

The Bad Version accepts submissions of poetry and fiction, and looks for essay proposals for non-fiction content. All submissions are accepted by email. See the website for further details.

New Lit on the Block :: Vine Leaves Literary Journal

Vine Leaves Literary Journal is a quarterly online (PDF, Scribid) and print annual of vignette prose, poem, script, and art/photography.

Editors Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius started Vine Leaves after looking at the literary landscape:

The world of literature nowadays is so diverse, open-minded and thriving in experimental works, that there doesn’t seem to be any single form of written art missing from it … you would think. But there is.

The vignette.

It’s rare for a literary magazine to accept the “vignette” as a publishable piece of literature. Why? Because it is not a “proper story.” We beg to differ.

So, what is a vignette?

“Vignette” is a word that originally meant “something that may be written on a vine-leaf.” It’s a snapshot in words. It differs from flash fiction or a short story in that its aim doesn’t lie within the traditional realms of structure or plot. Instead, the vignette focuses on one element, mood, character, setting or object. It’s descriptive, excellent for character or theme exploration and wordplay. Through a vignette, you create an atmosphere.

Vine Leaves, will entwine you in atmosphere; wrap you in a world where literature ferments and then matures. . .

Readers of Vine Leaves can expect to experience the vignette as “bite-sized snapshots of life written in a range of genres such as literary, minimalist, experimental, slipstream, fantasy, and black comedy.”

Contributors to the first issue include Adrianne Kalfopoulou, Alaine Benard, Amie McCracken, Amy Saia, Angela Felsted, Belinda Dorio, Benjamin Atherton, Ben Nardolilli, Bobbie Troy, Cath Barton, Denise Covey, Elizabeth Varadan, Eric Nguyen, Frank Sloan, Gale Acuff, Glynis Smy, H. Edgar Hix, Halli Dee Lilburn, Howie Good, Ian Anderson, Isa Lenor, J.R.McRae, Jake Uitti, Jamie Provencal, Janîce Leotti, Janice Phelps Williams, Jim Murdoch, Kevin Ridgeway, Kyle Hemmings, Kyle W. Kerr, Laurel Garver, Linda Cassidy Lewis, Madeline Sharples, Mallory Peak, Mark Van Aken Williams, Matthew MacNish, Melissa Sarno, Michael Keenan, Michael Neal Morris, Michelle Davidson Argyle, Michelle Kennedy, Nicole Ducleroir, Patricia Ranzoni, Richard Merrill, Rick Hartwell, Salena Casha, Sheri Larsen, Stephen Parrish, Tamim Sadikali, Tiggy Johnson, Valentina Cano, Vicky Ellis, and William Haas.

In addition to putting out a print “best of” annual and planning writing contests, Editors Bell and Ius are currently in the process of applying for grants with the hope to pay writers for their work.

Vine Leaves is open for submissions of prose, poetry and script with preference in genres of literary, mainstream, speculative, and slipstream. “We will, however,” says Bell, “accept all genres except erotica. We seek to make the feel of every issue completely different, so don’t rely on the content of previous issues to decide what to submit. Just submit your best work. Write something brilliant and woo us into publishing it!” Artwork or photography will be considered for the cover and/or interior of each issue. See the publication website for specific details.

New Lit on the Block :: The Conium Review

Based out of Portland, Oregon, The Conium Review is a biannual print journal of fiction and poetry published by Conium Press.

Editors James R. Gapinski, Uma Sankaram, Tristan Beach, and Susan Lynch shared their view of the publication: “The Conium Review publishes fringe literature, both in subject and style. Issues of The Conium Review vary in length, because we don’t use quotas — we simply select the best writing from the submission queue, and we find a place for it. We try to avoid preconceived ideas of genre, contemporary style, or publishable word count. We are a highly selective journal, but our final choices are based on literary craft. In other words, our goal is to publish a high-quality journal with an eclectic range of authorial voices.”

Readers of The Conium Review can expect a well-balanced publication. “We try to include a wide range of well-crafted literary pieces from unique perspectives. Published works represent a variety of styles, holding reader interest and defying expectations from one story to the next.”

The contributing poets and writers are Jeffrey Alfier, Jeremy Behreandt, Thor Benson, Isaac Coleman, Ross Concillo, Daniel Davis, Mason Brown DeHoog, Matthew Denvir, Ivo Drury, Howie Good, Jack Granath, Lauren Hall, Shane L. Harms, Julie Heckman, Jason L. Huskey, Paul Kavanagh, Jen Knox, Margarita Meklina, Ben Nardolilli, Edwin R. Perry, Nick Sanford, Benjamin Schachtman, Parker Tettleton, Caitlin Elizabeth Thomson, Steven Wineman, and Kirby Wright. The cover art is by Emma Cook.

Looking into the future, the editors hope “to extend our reach into the Portland community and elsewhere. Our podcast and online reviews help us stay connected with the broader literary community, but we want to expand these efforts with readings, workshops, and other special events.”

Submission information can be found here.

New Lit on the Block :: Straight Forward

Straight Forward publishes poetry and photography quarterly (March, June, September, December) digitally using Issuu and essays and reviews on their website.

Lindsey Lewis Smithson is the Founder and Editor, with Martha Borjon Kubota work “tirelessly” as the Assistant Editor.

“In the most basic sense,” Smithson says, “Straight Forward started to simply publish clear, concise poetry. On more than one occasion I have been told that poems that were too clear were boring, or, horrifyingly, not poetic. Poetry does not have to be Avant-garde, or confusing, or a puzzle to be beautiful and poetic and valid. I also wanted the tone of the website, and our social media presence, to be positive and welcoming; we are not a magazine to publish you and dump you. I email our authors frequently, sending them proofing galleys and running author photos along with bios in each issue. We will share your blog/website info if you want us to, and will do what we can to make you proud of being published with us. Like our website says, we aim to be a home for writing, not just another journal.”

In addition to this perspective, Straight Forward is unique in another way: “As the idea grew, I also wanted to wrap in charity work. Our 2012 campaign, Read Books. Buy Indie. Help Animals. is done to support the ASPCA. We will feature a different charitable cause every year, with ways to provide direct donations and indirect donations. It is my belief that artists are typically compassionate people, and that poetry and charity go together well. To be able to provide writers with ways to participate in the literary community and to help others is important to me.”

Readers of Straight Forward will, on first look, find at least two interviews, ten poems or more, photos from submitters, author bios and photos, and news about the publication. “We run everything in full color, but keep the layout simple. Everything published, from the photography to the interviews, should be clear and enjoyable on the surface; more depth and meaning can be found, if you want to take the time to look for it. Nothing is a riddle, nothing is meant to be confusing.”

Issue One features the poets L. Ward Abel, Jessica Barksdale, Sam Bernhofer, Warren Buchholz, Meghan Cadwallader, Matt Galletta, Peter Goodwin, David Hernquist, Ed Higgins, Brian Hood, Heather Holliger, Paul Hostovsky, Margaret S. Mullins, Aline Soules, and Adrienne Wallner.

In addition to the poetry are interviews with Larry Handy, the lead poet of the group Totem Maples, and Rachel Kann, a poet and prose writer, professor, and artist. Straight Forward also features photography from Ron Pavellas, Genevieve Kules, Adrienne Wallner, Emily Strauss and Shubhankar Verma.

As for the future of the publication, Smithson says, “Aside from getting out three issues that are successful this year, I would also like to publish an ebook anthology in December. I also hope to raise $1000 for charity through our contest fees and (future) ebook sales. We are running our first contests right now, with Jill Alexander Essbaum as poetry judge. If all goes well, and the literary community warmly receives us, I can foresee us developing a chapbook series. That kind of move would have to be an organic decision that is right for the journal first, since we are not in this for the money.”

Straight Forward only takes submissions through their Submittable submission manager, considering general submissions, including poetry, essays and photography, year round.

Straight Forward is also active on Twitter (@straight_poetry), Facebook, and Pinterest, in addition to blogging on their website about the publication process. Smithson adds, “We are fairly open about our process and love sharing it with others.”

New Lit on the Block :: Flycatcher

Flycatcher: A Journal of Native Imagination of literature and art published online twice a year (winter and summer).

Editors Christopher Martin, Kathleen Brewin Lewis, Karen Pickell, Precious Williams, Jennifer Martin, Laurence Stacey, Jordan Thrasher, and Megan Gehring created Flycatcher to help bring together a place-based literary conversation in suburban Atlanta. Flycatcher does not necessarily aim to be a regional publication, though the editors “do think of the southeastern United States as our literary ground.” Readers of Flycatcher can expect to find “good, lyrical, sometimes gritty pieces of writing and art that are expressions of belonging to a place – or sometimes a lack of belonging.”

The first issue features poetry from Janisse Ray, John Lane, Thomas Rain Crowe, Marianne Worthington, Erik Reece, J. Drew Lanham, Rosemary Royston; fiction from Sharanya Manivannan, Raymond L. Atkins, and Beverly James; nonfiction from Susan Cerulean, Bobbi Buchanan, Casey Clabough, Linda Niemann, Holly Haworth; visual art from Brian Brown, Sarah McFalls, and an interview with Barbara Brown Taylor.

While Flycatcher is planning for two issues a year, Martin says they hope to put out three or maybe four issues a year as they gain experience. Additionally, he says, “down the road, we’d like to explore the possibility of putting out one or two print issues a year. And right now we’re figuring out ways to get Flycatcher out into the community through readings, workshops, and other events.”

Flycatcher editors will consider all genres via e-mail. Deadline to be considered for summer issue is May 1, though submissions are accepted year-round and on a rolling basis.

New Lit on the Block :: The Barefoot Review

The Barefoot Review is an online/PDF publication of poetry and short prose (non-fiction) meant to “provide a venue for people who have dealt with hardship to express themselves and read other about others who have faced hardship.”

Specifically, this biannual edited by Amy King, Nicholas Gordon, Mel Glenn, and Jason Teeple “welcomes submissions of poetry or short prose from people who have or have had physical difficulties in their lives, from cancer to seizures, Alzheimer’s to Lupus. It is also a place for caretakers, families, significant others and friends to write about their experiences and relationships to the person. They are a vital part to being able to live with an illness.”

Why Barefoot? The editors give several meanings: “Baring your soul and expressing naked feelings. Bare feet ground you, give you balance, and connect you to the earth. The review is here from a desire to help others.”

The editors understand that “writing can be a tremendous source of healing and allow difficult feelings and ideas to be expressed.” And while they understand the unfortunate reality that they cannot publish every piece they receive, they note: “Writing, verbalizing feelings that may be subconscious or unexpressed is more important than the acknowledgment of being published here.”

Contributors to the first issue include Sonnet Alyse, Karen Alkalay-Gut, Michele Battiste, Ruth Bavetta, Laura D. Bellmay, Linda Benninghoff, Mike Berger, Rose Mary Boehm, Harry Calhoun, Joan Colby, Carol Dorf, Iris Jamahl Dunkle, Elizabeth Dunphey, J. Míchel Fleury, Meg Harris, Anne Higgins, Val Morehouse, David Mullen, B.Z. Niditch, Darlene M. Pagán, Natalie Parker-Lawrence, Jason Parsley, Amber Peckham, Lisa V. Proulx, Michael Rowe, Willa Schneberg, Doug Schroeder, Aftab Yusuf Shaikh, Anne Shigley, Shelby Stephenson, Marc Thompson, and Judith Williams.

The editors hope that each edition will continue to print pieces from target individuals and provide a venue for talk and expression of these difficult issues. In doing so, and in continued promotion of the publication, The Barefoot Review will increase awareness of the subjects it publishes.

The Barefoot Review is looking for e-mail submissions from two categories of people: 1) those who currently have or have survived a serious health issue and 2) those in their lives — caregivers, families, significant others, friends, doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, anyone who has experiences to share. See the website for more specific details.