Literary Journals
In cultivating a wide network of writers committed to socially engaged poetry, Split This Rock is constantly discovering and engaging with similarly minded journals and organizations. On the list below, you will find an evolving list of journals that welcome socially engaged poetry and voices too often left out of the literary world’s dominant conversations. You will find links to submission processes where available, in the hope that those of you who are poets will have greater opportunities to circulate your work. Split This Rock in no way considers this list to be finite or complete. We are always eager to learn of new journals. Suggestions for future inclusions can be emailed to info@splitthisrock.org.
3:AM Magazine projects a post-punk outlook, featuring poetry, literature, and fiction; interviews; critical writing; and opinion columnists. It has an anti-normative theme, where all the writings reflect a sense of despair or disillusionment with societal rule of law. Its slogan is "Whatever it is, we're against it." Instructions for sending work can be read on the magazine’s Submissions web page.
A&U Magazine publishes literature on all topics related to HIV/AIDS, including but not limited to: contemporary international perspectives, political perspectives, personal accounts, and personal responses to HIV-related art or artists. Information for sending work can be found on the magazine's Submissions web page.
Abalone Moon: a Journal of Poetry and the Arts
Abalone Moon is an arts and poetry journal that has an eclectic albeit thematic structure, where poetry and art about things like war, nature, sculpture, human connections, love, and loss will all find their way into their catalog two to three times a year.
Apogee engages with issues of identity at the intersection of literary aesthetic and political activism. From its website: “We believe that by elevating underrepresented literary voices we can effect real change: change in readers’ attitudes, change in writers’ positions in literature, and broader change in society.” Information on periodic calls for submissions can be found on the journal’s Submissions web page.
Beloit Poetry Journal is a quarterly print journal that seeks to publish an eclectic range of previously unreleased poetry and does not shy away from poetry with a political or social message. In 2008, BPJ published a chapbook featuring the work of the newly-founded Split This Rock. Details for submitting to BPJ can be found Submissions Guidelines web page.
Beltway Poetry Quarterly is an online literary magazine that promotes artists and issues concerning Washington, DC and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region. The magazine publishes a diversity of voices across age, race, gender, and sexual orientation. Beltway Poetry Quarterly only accepts submissions during its Call for Entries. Local artists may also contribute reading and publication information to the Poetry News section of its website.
Black Heart Magazine is an online journal that daily publishes modern short-form literature, including pulp, literary fiction, poetry, and commentary. It seeks to promote a mix of new and established authors. Details for sending work to Black Heart Magazine can be read on its Submissions Guidelines web page.
Black Warrior Review is named for the river that borders the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Established in 1974 by graduate students in the MFA Program in Creative Writing, BWR is the oldest continuously-run literary journal produced by graduate students in the United States. Submissions Guidlines web page.
Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts & Letters is a Texas A&M University-based quarterly journal published by Johns Hopkins Press. According to its website, Callaloo is “devoted to creative work by and critical studies of the work of African Americans and peoples of African descent throughout the African Diaspora.” Callaloo accepts works of poetry in addition to scholarly articles, book reviews, short fiction, and visual art. Information on sending in work can be found on the journal’s Submission Guidelines web page.
Calyx, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women, is, according to its website, “A forum for women’s creative work--including work by women of color, lesbian and queer women, young women, old women--Calyx Journal breaks new ground.” It publishes poetry, short stories, artwork, photography, essays, and reviews. Information on sending work to Calyx can be found on its Submissions web page.
An annual publication of the University of the Virgin Islands, The Caribbean Writer, according to its website, “publish[es] quality writing by established writers that reflects the culture of the Caribbean; promotes and fosters a strong literary tradition; and serves as an institute for the development of emerging writers.” It releases poetry, short fiction, personal essays, creative nonfiction, and plays. Information on sending work to The Caribbean Writer can be read on its Submissions Guidelines web page.
The Common is a literary journal that publishes a print issue twice yearly and online content four times weekly. The journal releases reviews, interviews, essays, poetry, and multimedia in an effort to, per its website, “serve as a vibrant common space for the global exchange of ideas and experiences.” Directions and deadlines for submitting work can be read at the journal’s About web page.
Published by the Southern Illinois University Department of English, Crab Orchard Review seeks to publish the best new work by established and new voices in American poetry through its series in poetry and competitions. Information for sending work can be read at the review’s Guidelines for Submission web page.
CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action
CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action is, per its website, “a multi-media magazine based at Fordham University committed to integrating the arts and social justice.” It seeks to curate a republic of artists across various mediums, and has dedicated its 2015-2016 output to Black Lives Matter. CURA’s guidelines for sending work can be found at its Submit web page.
The Deaf Poets Society is an online journal founded in 2016 to promote literature and art that draws from experiences of disability. The journal accepts poetry, prose, cross-genre work, reviews, interviews, and art from emerging and established artists. The journal wants to investigate experiences of disability across multiple identities, stating, “Whether you’re drawing from experiences related to gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, race, or any other marginalized identity, we want your voice in our journal.” Instructions for sending work can be read at the journal’s Submittable web page.
Founded in 1999, The Drunken Boat is an electronic journal of the arts that, according to its website, “is committed to actively seeking out and promoting the work of marginalized and underrepresented artists, including especially people of color, women, queer, differently abled, and gender nonconforming artists.” It publishes works of short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art. Submissions are open, and instructions can be found on the journal’s Submit web page.
Produced by James Madison University’s Furious Flower Poetry Center, The Fight & the Fiddle is an online journal that publishes poems, stories, and literary works that honor and comment upon the dialectic of struggle and artistry in African American poetry.
Gargoyle is a DC metro area-based magazine of poetry, fiction, interviews, and reviews that, per its website, is “dedicated to printing work by unknown poets and fiction writers, as well as seeking out the overlooked or neglected.” Instructions for submitting work can be located on Gargoyle’s FAQ web page.
Founded with the idea to "spark an international conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century," The Good Men Project seeks to explore contemporary notions of masculinity through engagement with and exploration of politics, fatherhood, sex, and ethics, among other topics. In this vein, it cultivates a poetry page on its website. Instructions for sending work can be found on the website's submittable page.
HEArt (Humanity Equity through Art) is a journal that focuses on fighting prejudice and pushing for justice, publishing, according to its website, “contemporary work by self-identified artist activists.” It publishes poetry, interviews, essays, short plays, and creative nonfiction in its monthly issues. Information on sending work can be found on the journal’s Submit to HEArt web page.
jubilat publishes contemporary American poetry alongside varied selections of reprints, found pieces, lyric prose, art, and interviews with poets and other artists. According to its website, “the magazine creates a dialogue that showcases the beauty and strangeness of the ordinary, and how experiments with language and image speak in a compelling way about who we are.” Instructions for sending in work can be found on the magazine’s Submit web page.
Kinfolks: a journal of black expression
Kinfolks: a journal of black expression is an online and print quarterly magazine that, according to its website, “is dedicated to thinking about blackness in its infinite permutations by publishing the work of established and emerging black artists.” It publishes poetry, short fiction, commentary, and various forms of artistic criticism. Instructions for sending in work can be found on the journal’s Submissions web page.
Releasing issues two to three times yearly, Muzzle publishes poetry and reviews, seeking, according to its website, “to promote writing of revolution and revelation…our collective goal is not to showcase one particular aesthetic, but rather to press our ears against the rustling beyond.” Instructions for sending work can be found on the magazine’s Submission Guidelines web page. The magazine only accepts previously unpublished pieces.
Nepantla: A Journal for Queer Poets of Color
Published by Lambda Literary, Nepantla: A Journal Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color focuses on the experiences of QPOC in the United States and seeks to promote and maintain diversity within the LGBT poetry community. Neplanta also organizes a reading series with other organizations.
The Offing is an online literary magazine that works to publish creative writing and art in multiple mediums that, according to its website, “pushes literary and artistic forms and conventions, but understands that to do so requires a rigorous understanding of those forms and conventions.” Furthermore, “The Offing actively seeks out and supports work by and about those often marginalized in literary spaces.” Periodic calls for submissions can be found on the magazine’s Submittable web page.
Founded in 2006, the nonprofit literary arts collective [PANK] – PANK Magazine & Tiny Hardcore Press – fosters access to emerging and experimental poetry and prose, publishing the brightest and most promising writers for the most adventurous readers. Periodic calls for work can be found on the magazine’s Submit web page.
From its website: “Pilgrimage Magazine, founded in 1976, is published three times a year and is based in Pueblo, Colorado. The magazine is dedicated to exploring story, spirit, witness, and place in and beyond the American Southwest. We welcome creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, translation submissions and feature one artist per issue.” Instructions for sending in written work can be found on the magazine’s Artist/Writer Guidelines web page.
pluck! The Journal of Affrilachian Arts & Culture
pluck! is a biannual journal featuring, according to its website, “poetry, prose, and visual art from writers who identify with multicultural experiences based in the Appalachian region.” It is based out of the University of Kentucky’s Department of English. pluck! is open to accepting submissions, the guidelines for which can be found on the journal’s Submit web page.
Published by the Poetry Foundation, Poetry is, according to its website, “the oldest monthly devoted to verse in the English-speaking world.” It seeks to promote the presence of poetry in contemporary American culture. Featured poets from Split This Rock’s 2014 and 2016 festivals have been contributors to the magazine’s March 2014 and April 2016 issues, respectively. Also in collaboration with Split This Rock, Poetry highlighted ecojustice poetry in its January 2016 issue, in expectation of Ghost Fishing: An Ecojustice Poetry Anthology. Information on sending in work can be found on the magazine’s Submissions & Letters to the Editor web page.
Founded in 1889, Poet Lore is a print journal of poetry, essays, and reviews published twice yearly by The Writer’s Center, based in Bethesda, Maryland. It seeks to cultivate a broad and inclusive audience. Poet Lore accepts poetry submissions by mail on a year-round basis; artists may submit up to five poems.
This online journal seeks new poetic tools to represent contemporary society, which is characterized by globalization (suppression of geographical borders, blending of languages) and plurality (fluidity in any and every form, fragmentation of identities).
From its website: “PUBLIC POOL seeks to nurture the citizen within the poet and the poet within the citizen. While we publish original poetry and poetry-videos by today’s best poets – regardless of background and style – we’re also committed to cultivating intellectual curiosity in our community by providing content that combats civic apathy, fosters empathy, and enlarges one’s understanding of the world.”
Rattle is a quarterly journal of poetry, each issue running roughly 100 pages. It also maintains a daily blog. According to its website, Rattle “promote[s] the practice of poetry…it shouldn’t take a scholar to be moved by the written word—great literature has something to offer everyone.” Rattle regularly raises consciousness around issues of social justice through its Tributes (half issues gathering poems from specific ethnic, vocational, or social groups), and through Poets Respond (Sunday postings containing poems written in response to a current event). Instructions for sending work can be found on the journal’s Regular Submissions Guidelines web page.
Rogue Agent is a monthly online journal publishing poetry about the body and how we inhabit it. As its editor writes, “If our bodies are oppressed by an outside force, we are ‘written over.’ Rogue Agent wants to retaliate. Rogue Agent wants reconciliation. Rogue Agent wants to share your stories about the poem that is the body.” Instructions on how to send work to the journal can be found under Submission Guidelines on its main page.
Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Sibling Rivalry Press publishes Assaracus, Callisto, and Adrienne, journals featuring poetry by gay men, short fiction by queer writers, and poetry by queer women, respectively. Sibling Rivalry Press has also published numerous stand-alone titles. Its mission, per its website, is “to publish work that disturbs and enraptures.” Information for sending in work can be found on the press’s Submissions web page.
A project of graduate students in George Mason University’s English and Art departments, So to Speak: a feminist journal of language and art publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art that, according to its mission, “addresses issues of significance to women’s lives and movements for women’s equality and are especially interested in pieces that explore issues of race, class, and sexuality in relation to gender.” The journal is committed to drawing from a diverse pool of writers and artists. Information on sending in work can be found on its Submissions + Guidelines web page.
THEM is a journal of trans literature that rejects rigid gender identities in favor of a fluid understanding, embracing multiplicity. THEM is open to submissions of poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, experimental writing, and more. Intersectional perspectives are welcome. Information for submitting work can be found on the journal’s Guidelines web page.
From its website: “Our collective is based loosely upon an idea, one shared by the likes of Cesar A. Cruz, David Foster Wallace, Banksy and Finley Peter Dunne, that art should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. We feature provocative and experimental works of literary merit, accentuated by the arresting art and photography of our resident and guest artists.”
Based in Montreal, Vallum is a biannual magazine of contemporary poetry. According to its website, Vallum “encourages dialogue between Quebec and the rest of Canada and allows Canadian artists to exchange ideas with acclaimed and emerging artists from the United States, Britain, Ireland, Australia, India and other countries around the world.” Additionally, its issues contain essays, reviews, and multimedia art. Instructions for sending work can be read on the magazine’s Submission Guidelines web page.
Vox Populi: A Public Sphere for Politics and Poetry
From its website: “Vox Populi, founded in April 2014, provides a forum for the discussion of contemporary politics through poetry, prose, and video. We believe that the only way for society to change is for people’s voices to be heard. The subject of this dialogue is power – who has it, how is it used, and to what purpose. We welcome your participation.”
The Wide Shore is an annual journal of global women’s poetry. From its website: “We are committed to publishing poetry that reveals and unearths that which has been hidden, masked, buried, or unexpressed.” Calls for submissions are periodically posted on the journal’s Submit web page.
Published three times annually by the University of Nevada’s Harter Black Mountain Institute, Witness collects poetry, fiction, nonfiction essays, and photography that, per its website, “blends the features of a literary and an issue-oriented magazine to highlight the role of the modern writer as witness to his or her times.” Guidelines for sending work can be read on the journal’s Submit web page.
Published by poet Kim M. Baker, Word Soup, according to its website, “wants to end hunger one poem at a time. To that glorious end, we are an online poetry journal that solicits well-crafted poems on the theme of hunger. Imagine ‘hunger’ in all its possible meanings, from physical food deprivation to hunger for love, acceptance, actualization.” Instructions and deadlines for sending work can be found on the website’s Submit web page.
From its website: “Wordgathering is an online quarterly journal of disability poetry, literature and art dedicated to providing a venue where the new work of writers with disabilities can be found and to building up a corpus of work for those interested in disability literature.” Instructions for sending work can be found on the journal’s Submission Guidelines web page, and the journal gives preference to previously unpublished work.
From its website: “WORDPEACE is a new quarterly online journal of literary response to world events in the spirit of promoting peace and hope for all people. We are looking for previously unpublished articles, interviews, fiction and poetry (or mixed media) to publish which reflect this aim. We want work that asks for positive change and is forward thinking. We publish writing that takes a stand against corruption and greed, brutality, genocide, and oligarchy.” Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, and further information can be found on the journal’s About and Submissions web page.
Yellow Medicine Review: A Journal of Indigenous Literature, Art and Thought promotes indigenous perspectives in poetry, fiction, scholarly essays, and art, delineating as indigenous “as representative of all pre-colonial peoples.” The journal names itself after a river of particular importance to the Dakota of present-day southern Minnesota. Periodic calls and instructions for sending in work can be found on the journal’s Submissions web page.