Keep going. You’re almost there. Try harder.
These are the words we are told when life gets tough, as if the only way forward is to keep saying yes to the ways life has always been: yes to the grind, yes to burnout, yes to resiliency, yes to being like everyone else, yes to whatever is going on because there seems to be no other choice.
But what if we said no? What courage and joy can we find by taking a rest, pressing pause, ignoring fads, boycotting elite brands, joining protests, and the many other ways we can go against the grain? Write about the times you were called stubborn, rebellious, naughty. Write about how going against problematic norms and traditions has empowered you.
Qwerty Magazine is now open for submissions to Issue 49, The NO Issue.
Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction:
Previously unpublished fiction and creative non-fiction up to 5,000 words in length. Your submission must be double-spaced, in 12-point font. Please send only one story at a time.
Poetry:
Previously unpublished poetry in any style. You may submit up to 6 pages of poetry, single-spaced. Each poem should begin on a new page, and all poems should be in a single file.
Artwork and Photography:
We accept up to 5 high-quality, unpublished prints per submission.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO WE ACCEPT AI-GENERATED ART OF ANY GENRE, BE IT POETRY, PROSE, OR VISUAL
Deadline is August 31, 2024; all submissions can be made through Submittable: qwertymagazine.submittable.com/submit
Emma Rhodes (she/her) is a queer writer, editor, and publicist currently living and working in Tkaronto/Toronto. She is the author of the chapbook Razor Burn (Anstruther Press), a previous version of which was shortlisted for the Vallum Chapbook Award. She is a member of the Egg Poets Society, who published the joint chapbook All Things to Keep You Here (Qwerty Homerow Chapbook Series). Her work has been published in Contemporary Verse 2, Prism International, Plenitude, and elsewhere. You can find her at emmarhodes.net.