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May 2023 eLitPak :: Cleaver Summer Writing School

screenshot of page 1 of Cleaver Summer Writing School's flyer for the NewPages May 2023 eLitPak newsletter
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One-Day Masterclasses & Weekly Workshops

Find community and grow your craft in our online summer workshops taught by leaders in the lit community. Join us for one-day Sunday masterclasses with topics like “Delusions of Grammar” and “Building Your Writing Brand” and multi-week workshops in all genres. Whether you’re a new writer or a well-published pro, you’ll find motivation, structure, constructive criticism, and a dedicated cohort. See our flyer and visit our website for more information.

Want early access to our eLitPak flyers? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! You can also support NewPages with a paid subscription and get early access to the majority submission opportunities, upcoming events, and more before they are posted to our site.

Interested in advertising in the eLitPak? Learn more here.

Magazine Stand :: Cleaver – Issue 40

Cleaver online literary magazine Issue 40 cover image

In addition to celebrating their 10th Anniversary, Cleaver Issue 40 features selections from the first annual Cleaver Flash Competition. Judge Meg Pokrass comments, “It was only after rereading the stories for a number of weeks that my favorites became clear. Ultimately the winners were the ones that inexplicably moved me emotionally above everything else, and that I kept re-engaging with, trying to figure out how the writer worked their magic. It became a matter of recognizing that certain pieces had chosen me, not the other way around.”

Readers can enjoy works from First Place Winner Sabrina Hicks, Second Place Winner Janet Burroway, and Third Place Winner Dawn Miller, as well as Honorable Mentions by Paul Joseph Enea, Fannie H. Gray, Emily Hoover, Lisa Lanser Rose, James LaRowe, Andrea Marcusa, Christina Simon, Andrew Stancek, Laura Tanenbaum, and Kris Willcox, and Finalists by Joe Alan Artz, Madeleine Barowsky, Lyn Chamberlin, Nicholas Claro, Sarah Freligh, Theo Greenblatt, Amanda Hadlock, Meredith McCarroll, K. T. Moore, and Ron Tobey. Lex Lucius contributed paintings to this issue.

To find more great reading, visit the NewPages Guide to Literary Magazines, the NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines, the NewPages Big List of Alternative Magazines, and the NewPages Guide to Publications for Young Writers. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date!

Magazine Stand :: Cleaver – Issue 39

Cleaver online literary magazine issue 39 logo

Always free to all readers with no paywall, the newest issue of Cleaver: Philadelphia’s International Literary Magazine is waiting for you! This issue features Stories by Madeleine Gavaler, Amy Savage, Suphil Lee Park, Andrew Vincenzo Lorenzen, Hannah Garner, Candice Morrow, and Kim Magowan; Poems by John Schneider, Alison Lubar, Lydia Downey, Varun Shetty, and Michelle Bitting; Flash by Josh Krigman, Emma Brankin, Dan Shields, Jeff Friedman, Alison Sanders, and Devon Raymond; Creative Nonfiction by Phil Keeling, Emily Parzybok, and Beth Kephart. Among these contributors are those Cleaver recognizes as “Emerging Artists” who are under 30 and “still in the early stages of their careers.” Cleaver also regularly offers online generative workshops for writers to find community and grow their craft, in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. Visit their website for more information.

Magazine Stand :: Cleaver – Summer 2022

Cleaver Literary Magazine Summer 2022 issue cover image

The newest issue of Cleaver, the online “cutting-edge art and literary” journal with work from a mix of established and emerging voices features Short Stories by Rebecca Ackermann, Nathan Willis, Mariana Sabino, Lara Markstein, Maggie Mumford, Gemini Wahhaj; Poetry by Mitchell Untch, Sadie Shorr-Parks, Mateo Perez Lara, Mimi Yang, Alex Wells Shapiro, Matt Thomas; Flash Fiction and Nonfiction by Meg Pokrass, Timothy Boudreau, Rosemary Jones, Tess Kelly, Jamie Nielsen, Will Musgrove, Russell Barajas, Francine Witte, Damian Dressick; Creative Nonfiction by Deb Fenwick, Luisa Luo, Peter DeMarco; and “War and Peace 2.0: A Visual Memoir” by Emily Steinberg, Visual Narrative Editor at Cleaver, and “To What Survived” sculpture portfolio by Mario Loprete. This issue’s cover design is by Karen Rile. Cleaver also has daily features an advice column, essays on craft, interviews, comix, and book reviews. The Cleaver Summer Lightning Flash contest is also still open for submissions until August 1.

Cleaver Workshops Spring-Summer 22

Cleaver Workshops logo

Cleaver literary magazine may be based out of Philadelphia, but in keeping with their “international” status, their online workshops are open to all with internet access using both Zoom and Canvas platforms in synchronous and asynchronous modalities. Upcoming workshops include:

THE WRITE TIME for practice and inspiration
Taught by Cleaver Editor Andrea Caswell

MICRO MENTORING: Flash Fiction Masterclass
Taught by Cleaver Senior Flash Editor Kathryn Kulpa

WRITING THE BODY
Taught by Marnie Goodfriend

UNSHAPING THE ESSAY: Experimental Forms in Creative Nonfiction
Taught by Cleaver Editor Sydney Tammarine

TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT, And I Will Tell You What You Are
Writing About Food and Ourselves taught by Kristen Martin

Visit the Cleaver Workshops page for more information.

Magazine Stand :: Cleaver – Issue 37

Cleaver literary magazine cover image

Cleaver: Philadelphia’s International Literary Magazine has a lot to offer its global readership, including an online Zoom Contributors Reading on April 24 (register to attend). Contributors to the online Spring 2022 issue include stories by Colette Parris, Charlotte Moretti, Eric Rasmussen, AJ Strosahl, Michelle Ross, Ann Stoney, poems by William Erickson, Ronda Broatch, Phillip Schaefer, Robin Neidorf, Quinn Rennerfeldt, flash by Lisa Lebduska, Windy Lynn Harris, Cristina Trapani-Scott, Amy R. Martin, Candace Hartsuyker, Jessica Klimesh, Louella Lester, creative nonfiction by Gregory Emilio, Richard Casimir, Gwen Mullins, visual narrative (comix) by Jennifer Hayden and art by Bette Ridgeway. Cover image by Karen Rile.

Cleaver Magazine – No. 36

Our Wintry Mix. Creative nonfiction by Bree Smith, Dhaea Kang, Christine Muller, Benedicte Grima, and Virginia Petrucci; flash by Eliot Li, Gabriella Souza, Cassie Burkhardt, and others; fiction by Amy Savage, Kim Magowan, and Maggie Hill; and poetry by Peter Grandbois, Kelley White, Brenda Taulbee, and more. Learn about this issue’s visual work at the Cleaver Magazine website.

Cleaver Winter 2022 Workshops Coming Soon

Next month, Cleaver begins their Winter 2022 Workshops. The magazine’s senior editors are bringing writers EKPHRASTIC POETRY: The Art of Words on Art with Poetry editor Claire Oleson, UNSHAPING THE ESSAY: Experimental Forms in Creative Nonfiction with Creative Nonfiction editor Sydney Tammarine, and WRITE, REVISE, PUBLISH! Flash and Microfiction Practice with Flash editor Kathryn Kulpa.

These all take place online. Workshops are capped at twelve registrants.

Learn more about the upcoming workshops here and register through Submittable.

Cleaver Magazine – No. 35

The Fall 2021 issue of Cleaver features creative nonfiction by E. A. Farrow and Tricia Park; fiction by Sarah Schiff, Frankie McMillan, Peter Amos, and more; a visual narrative by Emily Steinberg; flash by Suman Mallick, Alex Juffer, Sarah Freligh, Kelly Gray, Gay Degani, Chelsey Clammer, and others; and poetry by Sara Mae, John Cullen, Danny Cooper, Melody Wilson, Tingyu Liu, and Tom Laichas. See what else you can find in this issue at the Mag Stand.

Fall Workshops at Cleaver

Online classes with Cleaver Magazine begin early next month. Stay cozy at home as the weather gets cooler while you strengthen your writing skills.

This season, workshops include “Telling Stories of Disability and Illness” taught by Michelle Hoppe, “Voice Lessons: Identifying and Creating Perspective in Poetry” taught by Claire Oleson, “The Writing Lab: Playful Experiments to Unstuck Your Writing” taught by Tricia Park, and plenty more.

You can find additional information on how to register and what to expect from the available workshop at Cleaver‘s website.

Winter Workshops with Cleaver

Looking to attend writing workshops this winter? Cleaver Magazine has you covered. With courses on Zoom and Canvas held throughout the coming weeks, they have plenty of options for your workshop needs.

Upcoming workshops include “Weekend Writing” with Andrea Caswell; “The Art of the Scene” for creative and nonfiction, taught by Lisa Borders; “TRANS (Is Not An Abbreviation),” taught by Claire Rudy Foster; and more.

You can find additional information on how to register and what to expect from your workshop at Cleaver‘s website.

Cleaver Magazine – Winter 2020

In the newest issue of Cleaver Magazine find: poetry by Meggie Royer, Amy Beth Sisson, Heikki Huotari, and more; nonfiction by Jinna Han, Christina Berke, Susan Hamlin, Claire Rudy Foster, and others; a visual narrative by Michael Green; short stories by Dylan Cook, L.L. Babb, and Mike Nees; flash by Steve Gergley, B. Bilby Barton, Darlene Eliot, and more; and paintings by Morgan Motes.

Take a Walk “In the Woods” with Emily Steinberg

Magazine Review by Katy Haas

Emily Steinberg takes a walk “In the Woods” with her dog, Gus, in her visual narrative found in the Midsummer 2020 issue of Cleaver. During her walk, she focuses on Gus and her surroundings, reflecting on the way the real world and its real problems seem far away. In the woods, “All human makings disappear . . .” and there is only the sounds of the wind in the trees and the creek and Gus’s paws around her. This moment doesn’t last forever, though. She has to cross the threshold back into the real world where everything “comes sweeping back. Crowding my brain. Not letting me breathe.” But for a moment there is peace.

This short visual narrative gives readers a moment of peace as well as we soak in the quiet moment of respite along with Steinberg. Each panel features only Gus, a fluffy scribble of a dog padding through the woods, a dog always good comfort when it’s needed. The piece works as a good reminder to take a moment to find calm and quiet in the midst of the tragedies and turmoil swirling around us. By taking these moments, we’re able to recharge as we head back into the real world to face everything once more.

Cleaver Magazine – Summer 2020

This issue of Cleaver Magazine features art by Madeline Rile Smith, a visual narrative by Emily Steinberg, and an essay on the art of Jan Powell by Melanie Carden. Also in this issue: short stories by Reilly Joret, Elaine Crauder, Melissa Brook, and Marion Peters Denard; flash by Susan Tacent, Brenna Womer, Michelle Ephraim, Leonard Kress, and others; and poetry by Roy Bentley, Stella Hayes, and more.