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NewPages Blog

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

The Baltimore Review – 1,000 Words or Less Winners

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

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

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

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

MFA Spotlight :: Saint Mary’s College of California

red background with Saint Mary's College of California in whiteThe Saint Mary’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree program offers a campus environment that feels like a writing retreat within the San Francisco Bay Area. The two-year MFA program at Saint Mary’s offers concentrations in creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, combining a studio writing workshop component with an analytical component. SMC MFA faculty are award-winning writers, poets, and committed teachers who offer decades of experience mentoring emerging writers.

Each year the MFA program invites Visiting Writers to work with MFA students. These groundbreaking writers add to the program’s inclusive community with their diversity of experience. Recent visitors include Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Marie Mutsuki Mockett, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Ada Limón, and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. Learn more…

NewPages Book Stand – February 2021

It’s that time again: a new Book Stand! Check out this month’s six featured titles, as well as other great new and forthcoming fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books.

Joe Taylor’s novel The Alleged Woman drops readers into Sumter County, Alabama where a woman’s car is found filled with ballots listing Joe Biden for President.

Set in the desert landscape of the México–U.S. border, Arsenal With Praise Song by Rodney Gómez yokes together lament and celebration, reproach and veneration across the borders of eras and nations.

Khalisa Rae’s poetry collection Ghost in a Black Girl’s Throat is a heart-wrenching reconciliation and confrontation of the living, breathing ghosts that awaken Black women each day.

The poems in Steve Henn’s Guilty Prayer speak to the reader as Henn’s poetic voice “shifts tones, moods, and paces seamlessly between pages and between lines.”

In Mother Body, Diamond Forde’s poems explore the trauma and agency held within a body defined by its potential to mother.

Young Blood by Sifiso Mzobe is a red-hot crime novel and a coming-of-age story, and it reveals the devastating violence and raw beauty of life in South Africa’s townships.

You can learn more about each of these New & Noteworthy books at our websiteClick here to see how to place your book in our New & Noteworthy section.

Call :: We Want the Best Stories in All Genres

The Blue Mountain Review flierSubmissions accepted year-round.

The Blue Mountain Review launched from Athens, Georgia in 2015 with the mantra, “We’re all south of somewhere.” As a journal of culture the BMR strives to represent life through its stories. Stories are vital to our survival. Songs save the soul. Our goal is to preserve and promote lives told well through prose, poetry, music, and the visual arts. Our editors read year-round with an eye out for work with homespun and international appeal. We’ve published work by and interviews with Jericho Brown, Kelli Russell Agodon, Robert Pinsky, Rising Appalachia, Nahko, Michel Stone, Genesis Greykid, Cassandra King, Melissa Studdard, and A.E. Stallings.

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

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

THEMA – Spring 2021

Writers and artists follow the theme of “Not of This World” in the Spring 2021 issue of THEMA. Some of the authors’ takes will definitely surprise readers. Contributors include Kayleigh McKee, James Swafford, Lynda Fox, Emily Hanlon, Margo Peterson, James Armstrong, Jennifer Erickson, Linda Berry, John Grey, Tricia Lowther, and more.

River Styx – No. 103

In this issue of River Styx: poetry by Nin Andrews, Gabriella Balza, Talia Bloch, Bruce Bond, Lyn Li Che, Jeff Gundy, David Kirby, Jenna Le, Timothy Liu, Adrian Matejka, Miho Nonaka, Emily Ransdell, Erin Saxon, Troy Varvel, Kiani Yiu, and more; fiction by Winston Bribach, Michael Byers, Jack Driscoll, and Andrea L. Rogers; essays by Maura Lammers, Jennifer Murvin, and Kerry Neville.

Months to Years – Winter 2021

A journal of personal stories exploring mortality, death, and dying related topics. This issue of Months to Years features work by Gaye Brown, Helen Bowie, Patti Santucci, Briana Gervat, Mari-Carmen Marin, Michael Biegner, Bethany Bruno, John Timothy Robinson, Mary Ann Noe, Patricia Miller, Mara Lefebvre, Lee Landau, Sherri Levine, Susan Robison, Jeremy Gadd, and more.

Hippocampus AWP 2021

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (aka AWP) will have their annual conference and book fair this year and it will be completely virtual. Hippocampus Magazine an Books will be participating. Besides being available during regular Book Fair hours, they are hosting two author meet and greets. The first is with Rebecca Fish Ewan on Friday, March 5 from 4-5:30 PM EST. The second is with Sam Chiarelli on Saturday, March 6 from 2-3:30 PM EST. You can even pick up some virtual AWP-exclusive downloads and enter to win swag at their virtual booth.

If you aren’t a subscriber to their newsletter yet, what are you waiting for? They hope to announce an official update soon about their annual creative nonfiction conference HippoCamp. Plus, you can keep on top of the latest issues of the journal as well as cool events they host, like their recent Doodles & Discussion with Rebecca Fish Ewan.

Brobby’s Double Jeopardy

Magazine Review by Katy Haas.

The Winter 2020 issue of The Malahat Review opens with the winner of the 2020 Constance Rooke Prize for Creative Nonfiction: “On Playing Double Jeopardy!” by Christina Brobby. This piece works through the different money categories in a game of Jeopardy all on the theme of photographic terms. Like the show, Brobby is given the answer and she responds with the appropriate question as she connects the term to her life.

I enjoyed the set-up of this piece. It flows seamlessly, Brobby always taking care to weave the photographic terms into the moments of her life. She examines how she presents as her race, in her adoptive family, as a wife, a partner, a mother. When she gives the answer of “What is a filter?” she ends the section turning it back inward: “Be more or less vibrant, act more coolly, like when the man after your husband said you were too emotional and that’ s not what he was signing up for. You donned your neutral-density filter . . . ”

This piece is a great opener for the issue, and well-deserved of taking home the Constance Rooke Prize. It immediately caught my eye and drew me in with its unique format, something greatly appreciated in the these days of shortened attention spans.

Sunday Short Reads

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

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

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

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

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

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Prospectus

Screenshot of Prospectus February 2021 eLitPak flier
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A Literary Offering

Discovering, bringing new poets from obscurity, is why Prospectus exists. We seek the work of emerging poets. Our magazine is published twice a year, in June and December. If you are unpublished or little-published, we invite you to submit your best poems for consideration. We also publish short prose pieces as well as fine-art images and reviews. Deadline: February 28, 2021.

They will be exhibiting during the virtual 2021 AWP Bookfair & Conference.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Gival Press 2021 Contests

screenshot of Gival Press February 2021 eLitPak flier
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Gival Press has the following contests for authors and poets which carry a cash prize and for which a reading fee is required: Oscar Wilde Award (deadline June 27); Short Story Award (deadline August 8); Poetry Award (deadline December 15). Visit our website for full details.

Gival Press is participating in the virtual AWP 2021 Bookfair & Conference. Don’t forget to stop by their exhibitor booth.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Writing for the Screen and Stage

Screenshot of Point Park University Low-Res MFA in Writing for the Stage & Screen February 2021 eLitPak Flier
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Low-residency MFA At Point Park University

Point Park University’s low-residency MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage is accepting applications now thru June 15, 2021. Discover your creative voice with a team of professional writers and a program that will prepare you for a multi-faceted writing career. We offer generous artistic scholarships based on your submitted artistic portfolio. Applying is free! Do it today!

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast Poets

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Submit your book length manuscript to the Catamaran Poetry Prize for West Coast poets. This year’s judge is Pulitzer Prize finalist Dorianne Laux! The prize winner will receive $1,000 and book publication. Submission deadline is April 20th, 2021. This contest is only open to poets living in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: WritingWorkshops.com

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Get 15% Off Your First Class!

Exclusive for NewPages fans: Get 15% off your first class at WritingWorkshops.com. Our classes are inclusive and intentionally small and taught by award-winning authors, agents, and editors. Use code NEWPAGES at checkout—but hurry, our upcoming classes are almost full! Discount expires 2/24/2021. Visit our website.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Tartt First Fiction Award

November 2020 - January 2021 Livingston Press eLitPak flier screenshot
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Deadline: March 15, 2021
Winning short story collection will be published by Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama, in simultaneous hardcover and trade paper editions, also in e-book and Kindle formats. Winner will receive $1000, plus our standard royalty contract, which includes 50 copies of the book. Author must not have had
a book of short fiction published at time of entry, though novels or poetry are okay.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: Fresno State MFA

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We Grow Writers

In the heart of California, Fresno State’s Master of Fine Arts program is home to The Normal School magazine and the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry. Our creative writing program offers advanced study in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Nineteen of our alumni published their debut books in the past five years. Are you next? Fall 2021 application deadline: March 1.

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

February 2021 eLitPak :: CARVE Editing Workshop Begins March 15

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Registration Deadline: March 15, 2021
In this intensive all-remote workshop, you’ll spend 10 weeks working one-on-one with Carve’s publisher on up to 5 of your short stories or essays (4000 words max ea.) You’ll receive weekly edits and revise your stories or essays multiple times, culminating in submitting at least one polished story or essay to a tailored list of 10 lit mags or journals. www.carvezine.com.

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

February 2021 eLitPak: Explore Your Wild at the Elk River Writers Workshop

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The Elk River Writers Workshop takes place at Chico Hot Springs, Montana, bringing together some of the country’s most celebrated nature writers with students who are serious about fostering a connection with the environment in their writing. This year, we are thrilled to welcome faculty members Rick Bass, Linda Hogan, J. Drew Lanham, William Pitt Root, and Pamela Uschuk. elkriverwriters.org

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

Moral Quandaries, Deal-Making, and Courtroom Dramas in this Legal Memoir

Guest Post by Hamilton Davis.

The early 1970s were rough on Vermont’s criminal justice system. Central to that era was the long criminal career of Paul Lawrence, the bad cop who, while working as an undercover narcotics agent for state and local police, framed more than 100 young Vermonters on drug charges. Lawrence’s depredations managed to contaminate the whole justice system—state police and several prosecutors and judges—and his crimes and the resulting turmoil put Vermont on front pages across the land.

One public official deeply affected by the Lawrence mess was Kimberly Cheney, a Yale Law School graduate and a Republican, who had just been elected in 1972 as Vermont’s attorney general. Cheney, in his candid memoir A Lawyer’s Life to Live, tells much about his life in Montpelier, Vermont, as attorney general but also, earlier and later, as a small-town private attorney and county prosecutor. He describes all the moral quandaries, deal-making, the courtroom dramas, and the shenanigans that readers would expect from an observant lawyer-turned-author.

But what he also offers is a striking assessment of what became known as the “Paul Lawrence Affair.” Lawrence’s crimes were committed long ago, but Cheney’s book is an important reminder of how things can go wrong. The author is as tough on himself as he is on other players who were far more involved in that affair. That’s a quality that is rare and praiseworthy in the literature of public life.


A Lawyer’s Life to Live: A Memoir by Kim Cheney. Rootstock Publishing, February 2021.  

Reviewer bio: Hamilton E. Davis has been a journalist and policy analyst for more than 50 years. He is the author Mocking Justice: America’s Biggest Drug Scandal (Crown Publishers, 1978).

Buy this book from our affiliate Bookshop.org.

 

The Other Hamlet Brother

Guest Post by Manasi Patil.

An extraordinarily ordinary play script is what draws Tim Hamlet, the twin brother of Prince Hamlet, the crown prince of Denmark, towards Elsinore to uncover the dark secrets that awaits him, whether he wants it or not.

When I started reading the first chapter of The Other Hamlet Brother, I was entirely drawn in the book. Luke Swanson’s words kept me on the edge throughout the journey of reading ‘The Other Hamlet Brother’. Well, I’ve always loved this genre, so I was more than happy to review the book, and I’m pleased to say that it did much more than simply ‘satisfy’ me. Continue reading “The Other Hamlet Brother”

Get Ready to Write Brilliant Flash Fiction

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

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

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

Call :: Beliefs, Myths, and Narratives in Southern Culture

Nobody's Home boarded up doorDeadline: May 15, 2021
Founded in 2020, Nobody’s Home: Modern Southern Folklore is a work-in-progress online anthology of creative nonfiction works about the prevailing beliefs, myths, and narratives that have driven Southern culture over the last fifty years, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The anthology is collecting personal essays, memoirs, short articles, opinion pieces, and contemplative works about the ideas, experiences, and assumptions that have shaped life below the old Mason-Dixon Line since 1970. www.modernsouthernfolklore.com

New England Review – 41.4

The Winter 2020 issue of New England Review is by turns bracing, inspiring, surprising, and devastating. Like every issue of NER, it gives readers a chance to expand their sense of the known world through language, image, and narrative. But what’s different is that emerging writers almost entirely populate this issue, and for many this is among their first publications.

The Massachusetts Review – Winter 2020

We are honored to present the very first Massachusetts Review issue focused on Native American writing. The issue’s poetry and prose show the depth and range of Native writing in our current moment. We put forward work by both new and established Indigenous writers that is diverse in its aesthetics and comes from tribal people who live all over the country. Essays by Tiffany Midge, Shaina A. Nez, Chandre Szafran, and more; stories by Stephen Graham Jones, Chip Livingston, Erika Wurth, and more; and poetry by Lemanuel Loley, Stephanie Lenox, Bojan Louis, Jessica Mehta, and more. Plus novel excerpts and hybrid texts. Read more at The Massachusetts Review website.

Call :: The Experiment Will Not Be Bound: Experimental Anthology

Unbound Editions Press Anthology CFSDeadline: March 14, 2021
This project reflects current times: it is a political act, and bold voices in new forms will ignite it. We are most interested in: What does America mean now — and what forms can our voices take today? Show us experimental writing that confronts the hard truths of America across identities, generations, communities, cultures, borders. Literary experiments from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities hold particular power in making this anthology relevant. We will challenge the traditional anthology form too, experimenting with how the book can be (un)bound, (re)ordered, (re)read, and (co)shared. Authors selected will be paid for their work. www.unboundedition.com

The Main Street Rag – Winter 2021

In this issue of The Main Street Rag, find a featured interview with Ellen Birkett Morris by Beth Browne. Fiction by Ellen Birkett Morris, Lawrence F. Farrar, Michael Graves, Kathie Giorgio, and Steve Cushman. Poetry by Carrie Albert, Diana Anhalt, Rose Auslander, Joan Barasovska, Brenton Booth, Raymond Byrnes, Robert Cooperman, Rachel Dixon, Richelle Buccilli, Angela Gaito-Lagnese, Martha Golensky, Kari Gunter-Seymour, Ted Jonathan, Elda Lepak, Anne Hall Levine, Vikram Masson, Ken Meisel, David Mills, Randy Minnich, Harry Moore, Gail Peck, Ann Pedone, Gary V. Powell, Charles Rammelkamp, David Rock, Seth Rosenbloom, Russell Rowland, Tom Wayman, and more.

EVENT Winter 2020 2021

This issue features Notes on Writing from Maria Reva, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and Joshua Whitehead. Also in this issue: nonfiction by Darlene McLeod; fiction by Dian Parker, Stephen Guppy, and Dennis McFadden; and poetry by Ashley Hynd, Shazia Hafiz Ramji, Rose Hunter, Natasha Zarin, Peter Richardson, Thomas Mixon, Nate Logan, Jean Van Loon, D.S. Martin, and more. Read more at the EVENT website.

Grand Little Thing Launches The Umbran Project

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

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

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

Call :: NOMADartx Review Seeks Work on a Rolling Basis

NOMADartx logoDeadline: Rolling
NOMADartx is an emerging global creative network dedicated to sharing and amplifying creative potential, regardless of genre. Our new NOMADartx Review curates fresh voices that address creativity and creative process via fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, critiques, and reviews. Our “Industry Specials” column also provides a place for contemporary creatives to share wisdom (individual or collective) toward building success in their fields of practice. We currently consider work that addresses these themes in any way. More information is here: nomadartx.submittable.com/submit. Recent work includes “Knit Beyond” by Chelsey Clammer and “Popsicle” by Nina Schuyler.

“Comfort Poems” in Cimarron Review

Magazine Review by Katy Haas.

Issue 212 of Cimarron Review includes what feel like the comfort food of poetry. After a long week, it felt good to sit wrapped up in a blanket with this issue in my lap.

Victoria Hudson offers warmth to readers of “11th & Quaker.” Inside the apartment, the speaker and another person complete a crossword and watch well-known The Office. There’s comfort in the familiarity of both tasks, a quiet intimacy surrounding them.

Kim Kent’s “At the YMCA” shows us a different scene of intimacy as YMCA lifeguards practice CPR on one another “just to be sure,” all of them “generous with our drowned / and undrowned lips.” Kent kindles the heat of summer and the closeness of the two bodies with expertise.

David Ruekberg offers a “Cure for Thought” with a list of instructions that both calm and inspire the reader. He quietly guides us to observe and imagine until we reach the final, always useful step: “Listen.”

Make time to stop and listen to the words of the writers in this issue of Cimarron Review and find your own comfort poems.

Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize Winners

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

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

Second Place
“Papier-mâché” by Yvette Siegert

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

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

Contest :: New American Voices: Post-Publication Book Prize for Immigrant Writers

New American Voices Award 2021 bannerDeadline: March 31, 2021
Fall for the Book and the Institute for Immigration Research’s New American Voices Award recognizes recently published books that illuminate the complexity of the human experience as told by immigrants, whose work is historically underrepresented in writing and publishing. The prize will be juried by Irina Reyn, Justin Torres, and 2019 New American Voices winner Melissa Rivero. All three finalists and the judges will appear at the Fall for the Book festival in October 2021 for the fourth annual award presentation. The winning writer will receive $5,000 and the two finalists each will receive $1,000. Full guidelines: fallforthebook.org/submitnav/.

Contest :: Fix the Future Climate Fiction Contest

Grist 2021 Climate Fiction ContestDeadline: April 12, 2021
Fix, Grist’s solutions lab, is launching a new climate-fiction contest, Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine calls for short stories envisioning the next 180 years of climate progress, judged by renowned authors Adrienne Maree Brown, Morgan Jerkins, and Kiese Laymon. The top contest winners will be awarded $3000, $2000, and $1000 respectively, and nine finalists will receive a $300 honorarium. Winners and finalists will be published in an immersive digital collection. We want to see—and share—stories that bring into focus what a truly just and regenerative future could look like. Submit your story by April 12 at grist.submittable.com/submit and contact us at [email protected].

Call :: Oyster River Pages Seeks Submissions for Annual Issue

Oyster River Pages logoDeadline: May 31, 2021
Oyster River Pages is a literary and artistic collective seeking submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual arts that stretch creative and social boundaries. We believe in the power of art to connect people to their own and others’ humanity, something we see as especially important during these tumultuous times. Because of this, we seek to feature artists whose voices have been historically decentered or marginalized. Please see our website for submission details and check out Issue 4.2 “Composite Dreams” – a special issue devoted to the work of black writers and artists.

Poor Yorick Reading Series: “Family Matters”

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

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

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

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

 

Cozy Up with Calder

Guest Post by Michael Rhames.

Back when I was a teenager and the internet wasn’t a thing, one of my favorite activities was to sit or lay down with a book. Anything by Agatha Christie I could get my hands on ended up being a favorite. This one may just be a close second, as far as cozy mysteries go.

While Eve Calder’s style is her own, the resemblance to Christie’s is undeniable, and doesn’t stop with the title. Kate McGuire even has her own modern-day Hastings to help her solve the mystery presented in this little masterpiece of the genre.

After losing her job, her fiancé, and her apartment all in the same day, Kate decides to move south from New York to beautiful Coral Cay, Florida. There, she arrives at The Cookie House where owner Sam Hepplewhite won’t sell cookies, of all things. Being a pastry chef, but still needing a job, Kate takes the front clerk post offered to her instead. All the while, she’s been seeing someone following her around.

Then she meets Stuart Lord, a millionaire who wants to turn the island into an exclusive vacation destination for the rich. He is trying to bully Sam into selling the business, but Sam won’t budge. From there, everything goes downhill. There is a death, and Sam goes to jail as the main suspect.

Kate enlists new friends to help uncover the true killer’s identity. Their discovery is unpredictable, just the way it should be. But that is why it’s called a mystery!

I have absolutely no complaints about this book, which is rare for cozies lately. If you like cozies and a fair amount of food talk, this may just be your thing.


And Then There Were Crumbs by Eve Calder. St. Martin’s Press, July 2019.

Reviewer bio: Michael Rhames. Birth Date: 6/8/1971. Birth Place: San Juan, PR. Living In: Boston, MA.

Buy this book from our affiliate Bookshop.org.

Contest :: Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry Manuscript Contest

University of Utah Press logoDeadline: April 15, 2021
“The world is full of paper. Write to me.”—Agha Shahid Ali, “Stationery.” Submit your poetry manuscript to the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry, judged this year by Matthew Olzmann. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, publication by The University of Utah Press, plus a $500 honorarium for reading in the University of Utah’s Guest Writers Series. Deadline: April 15, 2021. Entry fee: $25. We are on Submittable. Read about our guidelines Here: www.uofupress.com/ali-poetry-prize.php. Email Hannah New with any questions [email protected].

Position Available :: Fine Arts “Barista”

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

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

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

Contest :: The Journal’s Non/Fiction Collection Prize at The Ohio State University

The Journal Issue 44.2 coverDeadline: March 21, 2021
Submission Dates: February 1 – March 21, 2021. The Non/Fiction Collection Prize is awarded annually to a book-length collection of short stories, essays, or a combination of the two. This year’s judge is Nick White, author of How to Survive a Summer and Sweet and Low. A $1,500 prize and publication with The Ohio State University Press is awarded for a collection of short stories, essays, or a combo. $23 entry fee (reduced fee for BIPOC writers). Visit thejournalmag.org/book-prizes/prose-prize for guidelines.