Join us on a trek to the Rockies! Reader B.B. Garin gives us an overview of the wonderful litmags this expansive state has to offer. Buckle up!
Whether you’re looking for high peaks, hot springs, or Hunter S. Thompson’s favorite bar, Colorado has got you covered. So, hitch up the RV and head west for some summertime adventure. If mobile living isn’t your thing, you can always check-in to The Stanley Hotel. Either way, inspiration is bound to strike in the centennial state as we continue our litmag road trip.
Copper Nickel
Relaunched in 2014 after a brief hiatus following the death of their founding poet, Copper Nickel is a biannual journal based at the University of Colorado Denver. This is a paying market whose contributors have been nominated for numerous awards. They seek a broad range of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and translations but have a particular interest in work with sociohistorical context. An annual award for a first or second poetry collect is awarded by the journal. They also help facilitate the Unsung Masters Series, which brings the work of deserving but neglected authors back into print.
Flatirons Literary Review
With a penchant for agricultural metaphors, this Boulder based magazine focuses on work by local authors. Though the emphasis is on Colorado authors, pieces coming from outside the state that have strong local connections are sometimes accepted. Dedicated to growing a strong writing community, the magazine is the product of the Boulder Writer’s Workshop, a private literary center. Regardless of your locale, Flatirons is worth a perusal for the wide range of quality writing on display, including essays and humor.
Colorado Review
Produced by the Center for Literary Publishing at the University of Colorado, this national journal has been in existence for over sixty years. A fairly substantial journal that appears three times a year, each issue runs nearly 200 pages. Committed to publishing contemporary writing, they accept submissions of fiction and poetry from August to April, while nonfiction is read year-round. The journal also produces a podcast featuring frequent interviews with modern poets and writers.
Denver Quarterly
Another long running Colorado based journal is the Denver Quarterly, founded in 1966. The novelist John Williams created the journal to celebrate the ever-evolving possibilities of the written word. Work published here has gone on to be honored by numerous awards and anthologies. They read from September to February and beyond seeking traditional poetry and prose are also interested in reviews, translations, conversations, visual art, and “other critical-creative experiments”.
THINK
Formerly run by the MFA program at Western Colorado University, THINK became independently operated earlier this year. Despite the change in ownership, the journal remains dedicated to publishing poetry and fiction with an emphasis on craft. They also seek essays dealing with the art and history of poetry. Submissions for this biannual journal should reopen in the fall for their Winter/Spring issue.
Ruminate
This online, non-profit magazine focuses on contemplative literature. They publish work with both subtle and overt spiritual overtones, but a clear connection to faith or a particular religion are by no means a requirement here. Anything that invites a bit of slowing down and quiet appreciation is welcome. They run several contests and accept general submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art on various timelines.
by B.B. Garin