Hop in; we’re headed to the home of the Gophers today to tour the great literary magazines Minnesota has to offer! Rebecca Paredes has us covered.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is also the land of independent bookstores, literary organizations, and, of course, litmags. On this leg of our litmag road trip, we’re checking out a non-exhaustive list of Minnesota’s new and established fiction publishers. (And fueling up with a Juicy Lucy along the way.)
Blue Earth Review
Blue Earth Review is based out of the University of Minnesota, Mankato. The print publication seeks “ambitious and exuberant works of short fiction, essay, memoir, poetry, and visual art that offer insight, that complicate existing conversations, and that enrich our understanding of what it means to be human in this increasingly diverse world.” Blue Earth Review publishes twice per year.
Conduit
Based in Saint Paul, Conduit is a biannual literary journal that has “been thwarting good taste, progress, and consensus for over twenty years.” Conduit publishes poetry and prose, although fiction submissions are currently closed.
Great River Review
Great River Review is a literary magazine published by the University of Minnesota. Founded in 1977, Great River Review is the longest-running literary journal in Minnesota. The journal publishes once per year annually and in print.
Midway Journal
Named after a vibrant neighborhood that borders Minneapolis and St. Paul, Midway Journal seeks work that aims to “complicate and question the boundaries of genre, binary, and perspective.” The journal publishes four issues annually.
Midwest Review
Midwest Review was established in 2013 to “provide a venue for thoughtful and thought-provoking writing and visual art that examines, interprets, and redefines the wide spectrum of life, past and present, in the Midwestern heartland.” The magazine publishes once per year, and submissions are limited to people who live, have lived in, or have spent time in the Midwest.
Mizna
Mizna centers on the work of Arab, Southwest Asian, and North African artists. It was founded as a grassroots organization by Kathryn Haddad and Saleh Abudayyeh, who “identified a need for an artistic space dedicated to Arab and Muslim writers to narrate their own stories and make work on their own terms.” The print publication publishes twice per year.
Saint Paul Almanac
Saint Paul Almanac was founded in 2005 as a literary-centered arts organization. Its mission is to “share stories across cultures and cultivate dialogue to promote understanding, relationships, and collaborative action.” The almanac publishes flash fiction once per year, as well as nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.
Sleet Magazine
Sleet Magazine seeks to publish the unexpected. Established in 2009, the magazine publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, as well as irregulars—genre-crossing work under 500 words.
Split Rock Review
Founded in 2012, the Split Rock Review is named after a historic landmark located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. The journal publishes online twice per year. Split Rock Review seeks short fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.
The Talking Stick
The Talking Stick is a literary journal published by the Jackpine Writers’ Bloc, a nonprofit writing group. The Talking Stick has been produced entirely by Minnesota writers for Minnesota writers since 1995. The group publishes an annual print edition each year and features fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
The Under Review
The Under Review is an online literary journal that publishes twice per year. Established in 2019, the journal accepts fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry “with a sports edge, glance, or focus.”
Whistling Shade
Founded in 2001, Whistling Shade is a literary journal and small press located in St. Paul. The print journal is circulated to cafes, bookstores, libraries, and other locations in the Twin Cities. Whistling Shade publishes once online and in print per year and accepts fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art.
Yellow Medicine Review
Yellow Medicine Review is centered on the art and literature of Indigenous peoples. Established in 2007, the journal publishes twice per year, and each issue is guest-edited by a different Indigenous writer. The journal accepts fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions from Native, Indigenous, NDN, and First Peoples writers.
by Rebecca Paredes