A Rose by Any Other Name is Still Lit
NewPages Newsletter #184: Fresh reads, creative sparks, and publishing opportunities
Happy Monday! After a weekend of lawn mowing (and forgetting sunscreen, of course), I’m now sporting a nice sunburn. With the weather warming up (sometimes too warm!), it’s the perfect time to find a sunny nook and curl up with a great book (or lit mag, naturally). Or perhaps, let inspiration strike—grab your notebook, jot down a few thoughts, or simply embrace your inner cat and indulge in a sun-induced nap.
NewPages is here to help—except for the nap part.
📩 If this email gets cut off, click ‘View Entire Message’ at the bottom or head to Substack to read the full newsletter!
🏬 Bookstore Updates
If you need relief from the heat, or shelter from those lovely summer thunderstorms that love to roll in, don’t forget to head into your local indie bookstore. Even if they don’t have AC, let the pages of a good book whisk you away to snow-covered landscapes or icy adventures—sometimes imagination is the best way to cool down.
Speaking of bookstores, here are the latest additions to our Guide to Indie Bookstores in the US & Canada—new literary havens to explore:
Birch Tree Books - Dallas, Georgia
Bloom Books & Cafe - Rocky Ford, Colorado
Raven’s Lore - Calhoun, Georgia
Howling Basset Books has officially reopened in Lambertville, New Jersey! If you’re nearby, drop in and explore their new literary space.
📚 In Magazine News
New Additions to Our Big List of Literary Magazines
In May, NewPages added several journals to our Big List of Literary Magazines! Discover:
Flights – Produced by Sinclair Community College, Flights publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with a focus on literary quality and diverse voices.
InkFish Magazine – A UK-based journal publishing flash fiction, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry that prioritize voice, character, and emotional resonance.
-ette – A compact literary magazine with a minimalist aesthetic and a bold editorial voice, curating short, sharp works across genres.
149 Review – A new literary space offering a platform for emerging and established writers, with a focus on thoughtful, well-crafted prose and poetry.
Balagan – A vibrant, cross-cultural journal that embraces the messy, the experimental, and the unexpected in poetry, prose, and hybrid forms.
Penstricken – A literary magazine dedicated to storytelling in all its forms, with a particular love for speculative fiction and emotionally resonant narratives.
Latest Issues from Literary Magazines
Need even more to fuel your literary appetite? Swing by the Magazine Stand to dive into the latest issues of literary magazines you know and love (or maybe are just discovering!).
Consequence Volume 17.1
This issue examines the lasting effects of war and geopolitical violence, highlighting how change often begins with small, local acts of kindness. This theme runs through stories of doctors, veterans, and advocates making a difference, as well as a powerful Translations Feature centering on the Palestinian experience.
New Letters Winter/Spring 2024
The Winter/Spring issue showcases the winners of their Award Series, including Sébastien Luc Butler (Poetry), Tanya Pengelly (Fiction), Elisabetta La Cava (Nonfiction), and Laura Newbern (Essay). This issue also features new fiction, essays, and poetry from a stellar lineup of writers, plus a stunning full-color portfolio of Nicholas Erker’s hauntingly compelling artwork. Grab your copy today!
The Lake June 2025
The June 2025 issue of The Lake is now live, featuring new poetry, book reviews, and its signature One Poem Reviews. This month spotlights works by Whitney Coy, Dagne Forrest, John Savoie, and Elaine Sexton, along with reviews of Greg Rappleye’s Barley Child and John Gilham’s Footprints in the Mud.
Come back to the Magazine Stand this week to learn more about the latest issues from The Common and Red Tree Review.
Spotlight: KUDU – A Journal of South African Writing
Despite the daily doom and gloom, the literary world continues to inspire. KUDU is a free, professionally designed online journal featuring poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, and visual art from both emerging and established voices. Published twice a year, it offers readers the option to read online or download a printable PDF.
KUDU is named after a Khoikhoi term honoring the Khoisan peoples, South Africa’s first indigenous inhabitants. “It goes back to thousands of years ago,” explains Founder and Editor Claudio Perinot, “to the first recorded inhabitants of South Africa, the Khoisans.”
🔗 Read the full interview on the blog
📖 Book Pick of the Week
If I Had Said Beauty by Tami Haaland
Tami Haaland’s fourth poetry collection explores ancestry, identity, and the intricate forces shaping a sense of self. Luminous and spare, these poems unravel the mysteries of deep time while remaining grounded in moments of family, loss, and encounters with the natural world. Poet Connie Voisine praises Haaland’s ability to welcome all spirits—atoms, trees, insects, and ancestors—into a shared, living community.
Later this week, stop by the Book Stand to learn more about The Obituary Cocktail by Sue Strachan.
🔍 In Review
Whet your summer reading appetite and discover your next great read with help from our reviewers.
Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson, reviewed by Kevin Brown
Craig Thompson’s latest work blends memoir, history, and cultural exploration—but not without controversy. Some readers question his role in telling stories connected to ginseng’s Chinese heritage and his childhood acquaintance, Chua, a Hmong boy he worked alongside in Wisconsin’s ginseng fields.
While parts of the book feel like an information-heavy history lesson, Thompson shines when reflecting on his artistic struggles, family relationships, and the complexities of class and race. His journey through creative paralysis and personal roots makes for a compelling read, even if the historical sections feel less engaging.
DisElderly Conduct by Judy Karofsky, reviewed by Eleanor J. Bader
Judy Karofsky’s DisElderly Conduct offers a disturbing look at the elder-care industry through the experiences of her mother, Lillian Deutsch. From neglect to outright abuse, Deutsch endured shocking mistreatment across six different facilities, exposing the lack of oversight in assisted living, memory care, and hospice—many of which operate for profit with minimal regulation.
While the book provides few policy solutions, its urgent call to action makes it essential reading for aging adults and their loved ones.
Later this week on the Blog: reviews of The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami, Universality by Natasha Brown, and With My People by Jonathan Pulphus.
✍️Inspiration Prompt: Flower Language
Once upon a time, in a world much like ours, flowers weren’t just decorations—they carried messages, secrets, and spells. Each bloom carried a meaning, each bouquet a story. A red rose whispered love, a sprig of lavender offered calm, and a marigold might warn of grief or jealousy.
In this world, people didn’t just speak with words—they spoke with petals.
But as time passed, the language of flowers faded into myth. Today, only a few remember the meanings, and fewer still know how to use them. What if someone stumbled upon an ancient flower dictionary? Or inherited a garden where the plants seemed to communicate? What if a florist discovered their arrangements could influence emotions—or fate?
🌸 Your Creative Challenge
This week, explore the forgotten language of flowers through multiple lenses:
🖋️ Fiction Prompt
Write a story where the language of flowers resurfaces in a powerful way. It could be a mystery, a romance, a fantasy, or even a modern-day drama.
Who still knows the language?
Who needs to learn it?
What happens when the flowers begin to speak again?
🌼 Poetry Prompt
Write a poem in which you use flowers to express all the words that are too hard to say out loud.
What emotions bloom in silence?
Which petals carry your truth?
🌍 Cross-Cultural Essay Prompt
Research the symbolic meanings of flowers across cultures—begin with Chinese traditions (like the plum blossom’s resilience or the peony’s wealth and honor), then move westward through Japan, Persia, Victorian England, and beyond.
What has surprised you?
What has saddened you?
What has inspired you about how different cultures have used flowers to communicate?
🎨 Mixed Media Prompt
Create a visual piece—a collage, a digital artwork, a photo essay, or even a short video—that explores the emotional or symbolic power of flowers.
Combine text and image.
Use real flowers, pressed petals, or drawn ones.
Let the visuals speak where words fall short.
Calls, Contests, & More
Below is a small preview of this week’s 57 writing contests, calls for submissions, and literary and writing events.
Darrel Alejandro Holnes judges Poet Hunt 30!
Deadline: June 15, 2025
The MacGuffin’s Poet Hunt 30 awards a $500 grand prize and publication! Up to two Honorable Mentions also published. Guest Judge Darrel Alejandro Holnes will make the final selections. Entrants receive one copy of the issue containing the selected poems. Send five poems per $15 entry fee. Include your contact info and poem titles in a cover letter or via the Submittable form. Personally identifiable information should not be included on the poems themselves to preserve the anonymous review process. Enter via Submittable; or to enter by post, see full rules at our website.
Swan Scythe Press Announces its 2025 Poetry Chapbook Contest!
Deadline: June 15, 2025
Swan Scythe Press announces its 2025 poetry chapbook contest. Entry fee: $18. We are accepting submissions from March 1 to June 15 (postmark deadline). Winner receives $200 and 25 perfect-bound chapbooks. The 2024 winner is Aida Zilelian for Dissonance. For full guidelines, visit our website and submissions manager.
Barrow Street Poetry Prize
Deadline: June 30, 2025
The 2025 Barrow Street Poetry Contest is now open for submissions, and we are absolutely thrilled to share that this year’s judge is John Murillo. Our winner will receive $1500 and publication with Barrow Street Press. An additional manuscript will also be chosen for publication as the winner of our Editors' Prize. All entries are considered for publication. Deadline is June 30, 2025. Learn more here.
HEART Poetry Award $500.00 - Deadline June 30
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Going strong since 1986! The HEART Poetry Award is open to entries of unpublished reflective modern prose poems through June 30! $10 fee to enter up to 3 poems. Winner will be awarded $500 and publication in HEART 20 (Fall/Winter 2025). This year’s judge is Grey Held. Visit Nostalgia Press to view the judge’s bio and submit.
Sky Island Journal: Issue 32 Call for Submissions
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Sky Island Journal is an independent, international, free-access literary journal publishing the finest poetry, flash fiction, and creative nonfiction. Accomplished, well-established authors appear side-by-side with fresh, emerging voices. We provide over 150,000 readers in 154 countries with a powerful, focused, advertising-free literary experience that transports them: one that challenges them intellectually and moves them emotionally. Our average response time is 9 days, and every submission receives a respectful response detailing what we appreciated. We have a family of over 1,000 contributors, and writing we published won the Pushcart Prize and BOTN last year. Enjoy our previous issues for free at our website, and submit to Issue 32 before June 30th.
Slate Roof Press 2025 Elyse Wolf Prize $500
Deadline: June 30, 2025
Member-run Slate Roof Press, now in our 21st year, is pleased to announce the 2025 Elyse Wolf Prize for our annual poetry chapbook contest. The winner receives $500, becomes an active member of the press, and will have their chapbook published by Slate Roof. The runner up receives $100. We publish limited edition, art-quality chapbooks with letterpress covers. Winners make a 3-year commitment to Slate Roof, including monthly meetings, and share work responsibilities for many aspects of publishing. Submit no more than 28 pages of poetry. $10 reading fee; sliding scale available. Deadline June 30. Full guidelines at our website.
2026 Embracing Our Differences Exhibition Featuring
Deadline: July 1, 2025
Embracing Our Differences is seeking submissions for an outdoor exhibition featuring 50 billboard size images and original quotations created by local, national and international artists and writers reflecting the theme "embracing our differences." The exhibition will be on display mid-January through mid-April 2026 in two outdoor parks in Sarasota and Pinellas counties in Florida. Cash prizes totaling $10,000 will be awarded. Call is open to artists and writers of all ages. Quotation submissions must be 20 words or less. Learn more here.
International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition! Prize: $1000 and publication
Deadline: July 1, 2025 (11:59 PM EEST)
Small presses have potential for significant impact, and at Vine Leaves Press, we take this responsibility quite seriously. It is our responsibility to give marginalized groups the opportunity to establish literary legacies that feel rich and vast. Why? To sustain hope for the world to become a more loving, tolerable, and open space. It always begins with art. That is why we would love for you to enter your manuscript into the 2026 International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition! Prize: $1000 and publication in 2027. Learn more here.
North Street Book Prize
Deadline: July 1, 2025
11th year sponsored by Winning Writers. Submit self-published or hybrid-published books to win $10,000. Additional benefits for entrants and winners from our co-sponsors. $22,000 in total cash prizes. Eight categories. Any year of publication eligible. Entry fee: $85. Everyone who submits online can receive feedback from a judge at no extra charge. Deadline: July 1. Learn more at our website.
Submissions Open for Housatonic Book Awards
Deadline: July 18, 2025
The Housatonic Book Awards are now accepting submissions of all books published in 2024. Authors or agents are welcome to submit poetry, fiction, and nonfiction manuscripts for consideration in the HBAs. All manuscripts will be reviewed by a committee and the winners will be notified in October 2025. Each award carries a $1,000 honorarium and $500 travel stipend in exchange for the author appearing at either WCSU's fall or summer writing residency. Entering a title implies the author’s willingness to attend the WCSU MFA residency to host a 2-hour workshop. We look forward to considering your work! Learn more here.
2026 Press 53 Award for Poetry
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Publication, $1,000 advance, and 53 copies will be awarded to an outstanding, unpublished poetry manuscript. If Runner-Up is also selected, publication, $500 advance, and 25 copies. Press 53 Poetry Series Editor Tom Lombardo is the only reader and judge. Prizes awarded upon publication. Deadline July 31. Winner and finalists announced by November 1. Reading fee $30. Complete information at our website.
The Coniston Prize
Deadline: August 1, 2025
Radar Poetry is now open to submissions for the 12th annual Coniston Prize, judged by Diane Seuss! The Coniston Prize recognizes an exceptional group of poems by a woman writing in English. Any poet who identifies as a woman is eligible. The winner will receive $1,000, and up to 10 finalists will be awarded $175. The winner and finalists’ poems will also be published in the prize issue. Submit 3-5 poems via Submittable with no identifying information. Entry fee $20. Deadline: August 1. Submit now.
The Branches Fall 2025 Call for Submissions - VOICE
Deadline: September 13, 2025
The Branches is seeking submissions of previously unpublished written and visual work for our fall 2025 theme VOICE. We are especially interested in cultural criticism, personal essays, and book/movie discussions and also publish poetry, short fiction, art, and photography on the theme of VOICE. We recommend reading some of our previous issues (click issues on our website) to get a feel for what we publish. Give us your big ideas and small thoughts, the ways you’re interacting with and understanding the world. We love Joan Didion, C. S. Lewis, Ada Limón, Susan Sontag, Flannery O’Connor, Patti Smith, and (hopefully) you! Off-theme submissions welcome. Visit website.
Plant-Human Quarterly Seeks Poems and Essays for Upcoming Issues
Deadline: Year-round
Plant-Human Quarterly reads year-round. We seek unpublished or published poetry and essays that explore the myriad ways writers manifest their relationship to the botanical world—whether through heavily researched pieces, keen observation, or more intuitive ways of knowing—that attempt to communicate across boundaries and approach a plant’s-eye-view of the world. Send no more than 5 poems or an essay of no more than 1500 words (flash essay or essay excerpt) in a single word document. Past contributors include Ellen Bass, Forrest Gander, Kimiko Hahn, Brenda Hillman, Jane Hirshfield, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Pattiann Rogers, Scott Russell Sanders, Arthur Sze. View submission guidelines at our website.
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