Midwest in Photos: Ann Arbor Fairy House
“Any stranger can walk into any city at any time of day. Raising a family under trees could be good business.” –Mary Biddinger, “A Woodland Childhood,” Midwestern Gothic Issue 1
Photo by: Alec Josaitis
Midwest in Photos: Peoria Bikini
“We live in a strange and terrible time for women. There are days when I think it has always been a strange and terrible time to be a woman.”-Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
Photo by: David Thompson
Issue 22 cover and contributor listing
It’s been a glorious spring, but summer is right around the corner—yay!—and to celebrate, we’re beyond excited to show off the Issue 22 (Summer 2016) cover!
Cover image copyright (c) Steven Lang.
And check out our stellar contributor line-up for this issue:
Issue 22 drops on July 1, 2016—mark your calendars!
Midwest in Photos: Yellow Springs
“It’s horrible asking you to keep a secret, which is pretty much the same as lying. How is it not the same thing?” –Marnie Bullock Dresser, “He’s Probably Talking Too Much for This Date to End Well,” Midwestern Gothic Issue 20
Photo by: David J. Thompson
Announcing the 2016 Lake Prize
Lake Prize submissions will be open July 1 – August 31, 2016. Entries will be a flat rate of $5—only one entry per person. One winner will be selected for each category, and they will receive $300 and publication in the Winter 2017 issue. One finalist will be selected for each category as well, and they will each receive $100 and publication in the Winter 2017 issue.
We are also excited to announce our 2016 judges:
2016 Fiction Judge: Emily Schultz is the co-founder of Joyland Magazine, host of the Truth & Fiction podcast, and creator of the blog Spending the Stephen King Money. Her family hails from Michigan and Schultz grew up across the border in Canada. Her newest novel, The Blondes, was named a best book of 2015 by NPR and Kirkus. Her forthcoming novel, Men Walking on Water, is set in 1920s Detroit and inspired by her family’s rumrunning history. She currently lives in Brooklyn.
2016 Poetry Judge: Airea D. Matthews, a resident of Detroit, is the winner of the 2016 Yale Series of Younger Poets for her manuscript collection, simulacra, which Yale University Press will publish in 2017. Her poems and prose have appeared in a number of periodicals and anthologies, such as Best American Poetry 2015, Missouri Review, Muzzle, Indiana Review, Four Way Review, American Poets, Michigan Quarterly Review, Vinyl, Callaloo and elsewhere. She is the Assistant Director of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she earlier received her MFA in creative writing.
Submissions for the 2016 Lake Prize will open July 1, 2016.
For additional details, plus all guidelines, please visit the official Lake Prize page.
Looking forward to reading your work!
Nonfiction submissions are open!
It’s time! Our annual call for nonfiction submissions for Issue 23 (Fall 2016) is open!
While we love fiction and poetry, we couldn’t be more excited about exploring the aesthetics of the Midwest through essays and narratives rooted in experiences. Like fiction and poetry, we’re looking for pieces inspired by the Midwest—good, bad or ugly—pieces that represent the people or places here, your own experiences, things you’ve seen or witnessed—all in the name of helping to catalog the region in a way never done before.
Submissions will be open May 1 – May 31, and we’re looking for creative nonfiction, essays, and anything and everything in-between.
Check out our previous nonfiction issues, Issue 19 (Fall 2015), Issue 11 (Fall 2013).
For guidelines and to submit, head to Submittable Submissions page.
Contributor News
Rachel Hall, who has work coming up in Issue 21 (Spring 2016), will see the publication of her collection, Heirlooms, in September from BkMk press.
Mark Maire, who had work featured in Issue 14 (Summer 2014), was announced as the winner of the 2015 Emergence Chapbook Series Prize, with his chapbook Clear Day in January. In addition, he won the 2015 Codhill Poetry Award for his manuscript Meridian.
Lee Colin Thomas, who has work coming up in Issue 21 (Spring 2016), had recently publications in One (issue 7) Sharkpack Poetry Annual (issue 2), and Water~Stone Review (v. 18). In addition, a poem of his was a finalist for Narrative’s 7th Annual Poetry Contest.
Sarah Ann Winn, who has work coming up in Issue 21 (Spring 2016), recently won the Alternating Current Luminaire Award for a poem in her chapbook, Portage.
John Woods, who has work featured in Issue 13 (Spring 2014), recently saw his story, “White, a story in A Warm Place,” published in Meridian.
Congratulations, all!
Voices of the Middle West 2016 wrap-up
On Saturday, March 12, 2016, we hosted he 3rd annual Voices of the Middle West literary festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it was an incredible day!
The goal of the festival is to create a space to discuss the Midwestern voice in literature, the way it is presented, as well as to showcase the diversity of presses, publishers, readers and authors who call this place home. And it was our best turnout yet!
A mighty thank you to the University of Michigan’s Residential College, and Laura Thomas especially, for being our partner in bringing this festival to life. Thank you to our staff, especially Rachel, Giuliana, Hannah, Allie and Ally, for helping us put everything together. Thank you to Literati Bookstore for hosting the standing-room-only reading on Friday, March 11, and for being the official bookstore of Voices. And a hearty thank you to our wonderful and talented panelists, all of the exhibitors who shared time with us at the bookfair, everyone who stopped by, and this year’s keynote speaker, Ross Gay, who delivered an electric, dynamic talk.
For those who couldn’t make it, we’ve copied a few of our favorite photos below, and we hope to see you in 2017!
Voices of the Middle West Reminder
Just a quick reminder that our Voices of the Middle West literary festival is coming up on Saturday, March 12th! Here are some of the highlights:
– Keynote from Ross Gay, finalist for the 2015 National Book Award
– All day bookfair with over 40 presses from the region
– Open Mic Event
– FREE to the public
We also have some wonderful panels on subjects such as: Storytelling as Community, Personal Histories: Where Memoir and Fiction Meet, Publishing Panel: Unheard Voices, and Local Color: Is there a Midwestern Character?
Finally, don’t miss the kickoff event: On Friday, March 11th, at 7PM, Literati bookstore is hosting authors from the Voices festival for a reading event that is FREE and open to the public. However, space will be limited so arrive early in order to secure a spot! Find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/198047517213305/
How to Attend
When: March 12th from 10AM to 6:30PM (keynote speaker at 5PM)
Where: East Quad at the University of Michigan (701 E University Ave, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109)
Parking: Metered street parking or parking available in parking garages nearby (Forest/Church street parking structure)
Price: FREE!
For more information, visit the Voices Lit Fest page and our Facebook event
Issue 21 cover and contributor listing
Not only is the dream of spring alive—and, hopefully, here to stay soon!—but our upcoming Spring issue represents our 5th Anniversary of Midwestern Gothic! We are so excited to still be doing what we love, and sharing issues with you four times per year. We’re doubly excited to show off this beautiful cover for Issue 21 (Spring 2016):
Cover image copyright (c) Michelle Pretorius.
And check out our stellar contributor line-up for this issue:
Issue 21 drops on April 1, 2016—mark your calendars and help us celebrate this momentous release!
