Responses to the election continue to flood Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. I’m uplifted and inspired by the writing I find in my newsfeed. But, in the blink of an eye, words vanish below the fold. Posting on Facebook is fast, easy, and heartbreakingly transitory.
Fortunately, Facebook is only one of many outlets for literary responses to the election. Dozens of online journals publish provocative and edgy writing and visual art. These publications provide great platforms and can help spread your ideas to an audience beyond your usual friendship circles.
Where to Submit
Entropy magazine lists some post-election calls for submissions on their Where to Submit page. The Theme & Deadline Calendar at Duotrope is also a helpful resource. Culling from these sources, I’ve compiled my own list of favorite publications for protest-minded poetry, prose, and/or artwork.
I confess, I have a special fondness for Heavy Feather Review, since they’ve published some of my work. However, all of these publications are creative and passionate. Pick the ones that suit your style. To improve your chances, submit to several simultaneously.
- Bango Street, Issue 13, Respond
- Cleaver Magazine, Life as Activism series
- Donald Trump Poetry Contest, New York Times. No editorial screening, except to remove profanity. Simply enter your poem as a comment on Nicholas Kristof’s blog post.
- English Kills Review, essays and interviews
- Fairy Tale Review, Charcoal issue: fairy tales as forms of resistance and protest. Prose, poetry, translations, and artwork. Deadline March 31, 2017.
- Heavy Feather Review, #NotMyPresident
- Immix, Social Justice prose and poetry, and political cartoons
- Rattle magazine, Poets Respond. Include link to a news story in your cover letter.
- Redbird, Weekly Read
- Thought Crime Press, Not My President anthology. Both new and previously published work considered. Deadline March 15, 2017.
- Unlikely Stories Mark V, Never Trump, fiction and creative non-fiction
This list represents only a fraction of opportunities. Can you suggest other publications that welcome protest writing? Please comment.
