David Elliot Eisenstat

4 points all-or-nothing for ever winning an award is wild. ONE ART would move up about a hundred places. There’s no good way to rate the quality of that many markets, but like, no.

Masthead with named editors should be mandatory. Some weighting decisions don’t reflect my priorities.

I could really REALLY use some more orders and love for Issue 20. It's here. It's gorgeous. It comes with a free gorgeous bookmark.

Priced fairly, printed beautifully, shipping immediately. 🖤🤍❤️

www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...

Variant Lit: 12 more days to submit poetry or prose. Variantlit.com/submit

We’re in our final stretch for Winter 2026 submissions and would love to read your work. Submissions close December 4th. We are accepting poetry, flash prose, and fiction.

Variant Literature Pushcart Prize nominations for 2026: “On Craft” by Erica Dawson “Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee “Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy “Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus “Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means “The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki

We’re thrilled to announce our Pushcart Prize nominations for 2026:

“On Craft” by Erica Dawson

“Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee

“Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy

“Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus

“Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means

“The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki

New short story in the Fall issue of The Account! "There Has Been an Emergency"

theaccountmagazine.com/article/eyno...

A graphic with a duotone, blurred pink/blue laptop in the background. Text reads, We're the Okay Donkey editors, ask us anything. Asterisk at the end of "ask me anything" points to, about OKD, by November 30. There are photos of the three editors, Carolene Kurien, Heidi Marjamäki, and Steve Chang.

Have you ever wondered how...
• a literary magazine is run?
• decisions are made on submissions?
• to improve your chances of getting published by an established literary magazine?

Ask our editors (almost) anything by 11/30: forms.gle/NiBR9KQG2PHZ...

Answers coming in our January newsletter! 🫏

Variant Lit Monarch Queer Literary Awards 2026 nominees: Parker Logan, Oliver Brooks, Michael Agunbiade, Hongwei Bao, Shauna Friesen, Isaiah Gardner, Kit Evans

Very excited to announce our nominations for the Monarch Queer Literary Awards!

yellow background with asterisks, purple cover of book: "A Spoonie's Guide to Self-Acceptance" by Kelly Esparza, picture of a spoon and fire

🚨BIG NEWS REVEAL🚨 So excited to share that I wrote a poetry chapbook about my lupus and the grief that comes with it. It's PUBLISHED with #BottlecapPress🥄🔥!

Order your copy here: bottlecap.press/products/asp...

#poetrycommunity #poet #smallpress #buymybook #writersofbluesky #newbooks

Text on blue background: "we're open for submissions" and "submit your poetry, flash prose, and fiction to Variant Literature between October 21 and December 4"

We can't wait to read your work!

variantlit.com/submit/

Looking forward to reading your poems!

JAKE: The Anti Literary Magazine Submission Manager Submit to JAKE: The Anti Literary Magazine. Powered by Duosuma: Duotrope's Submission Manager.

Open:
duotrope.com/duosuma/subm...

Variant Lit mag logo on photo of moon in blue afternoon sky with text POETRY AND PROSE SUBMISSIONS OPEN OCTOBER 21

We’re excited to announce that magazine submissions for poetry and prose open October 21st!

Variant Lit Best of the Net nominations: Michael Agunbiade — “the new testament” Erica Dawson — “On Craft” griffin epstein — “well-adjusted” Isaiah Gardner — “To the Gay Man at My Little Brother’s High School Graduation” Mara Lee Grayson — “How to be the Mother of a Missing Daughter” E. Peregrine — “High Noon” Ron Riekki — “The Opposite of Dusk” Emily Rinkema — “The Interview”

Announcing our Best of the Net nominations!

Michael Agunbiade — “the new testament”

Erica Dawson — “On Craft”

griffin epstein — “well-adjusted”

Isaiah Gardner — “To the Gay Man at My Little Brother’s High School Graduation”

So excited to be taking on this role at Variant!

brown blobs background: Author Spotlight: "The Bread of Affliction" by David Elliot Eisenstat, CNF

Author Spotlight #25: David Elliot Eisenstat (eisenstat.bsky.social) and his creative nonfiction piece, "The Bread of Affliction."
Read his piece here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/the-bread-of...
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#litmags #authorspotlight #creativenonfiction #disabilities

Variant Lit logo in black and white with text: "Get ready! We're opening for poetry and prose this month!"

Guess what? We're opening for poetry and prose submissions later this month! Official date coming soon!

KNIT INK (AND OTHER POEMS) -- “I’ve seen people able to do perfect bottom deals at casino poker tables for 100 thousand dollar stakes, under heat. I’ve seen people able to do bottom deals at illegal mob games where everyone was carrying. This poetry is only a bit safer but way, way harder. And impresses me more. I love it.” — Penn Jillette

KNIT INK, my exploration of the possibilities and limits of formal poetry and literary constraint, is available now from @deepvellum.bsky.social! Get yours here: store.deepvellum.org/products/kni...

Solidarity to every poet who finally figured out what that poem needed, and is now tempted to yank the previous version from submission queues.

(don't do it, that confuses editors and readers, just wait -- )

Photo of an opened geode with the Stone Circle logo superimposed on it.

🗓️Monthly reminder: The Circle is always open.

No fee. Quick turnaround. Link to guidelines in bio.

#Poetry #PoetryCommunity #CallForSubmissions #LitMag

Issue 4 Editor’s Note: Dear Reader, Thank you for stopping by! This is the last main issue of 2025, so it’s a little bittersweet because FLARE has grown so much in such little time. When starti…

Our issue 4 is out--official post coming soon with accounts tagged. We use a scheduling platform, Buffer, and it ran into a posting issue for some reason.

In the meantime, see the issue here: flaremagazinecom.wordpress.com/issue-4/

POEM SEALED IN A BOTTLE

A Petrarchan sonnet in iambic pentameter, holding inside it a Shakespearean sonnet in iambic monometer.

Always a pleasure to read a sonnet that does something a little different than the ones that came before.

Nobody does these flavors quite like Defenestration! The August issue is hilarious, and I’m so glad that one of my poems calls it home.

Do you want to edit for JAKE? The poetry team is looking for some more hands!

My Teenage Daughter Visit the post for more.

Is Harry Styles bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's in Indiana? Read this funny, tender story by Andrew Graham Martin to find out.

"My Teenage Daughter" variantlit.com/my-teenage-d...

Next 🍋 Writing Sprint: Saturday, April 12th
11 AM CT / 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT
Free • On Zoom • Open to all genres

Join us for two quiet, focused hours of writing.
Bring your project or start something new. Prompts provided (but totally optional).

RSVP: lemongrovewriters.com/sprint

The Opposite of Dusk Visit the post for more.

"There’s a sun out there somewhere but I can’t see it. For some reason, I want to find it, but it’s buried alive."

Read "The Opposite of Dusk"
by Ron Riekki ☀️

variantlit.com/the-opposite...

On Craft Visit the post for more.

"On Craft" by Erica Dawson @ericadawsonpoet.bsky.social

"The first job of the poet is to say / what we are, the second what we are becoming.
I turn the pages over on the desk.
The radiator hisses hard. Sunset."

Read the whole poem from issue 20 on our site!

variantlit.com/on-craft/