Monthly Archives January 2012

Dancing Near the Edges of Apostasy?

In one of my recent Google searches I came across an object relevant to my research on ritualized habitual consumption. My first reaction was gratitude, and maybe a giggle or two. But then I noticed with disappointment the site on which I found the object: The Museum of Idolatry, Artifacts of Apostasy.

Now, I must give props where props are due;

Just one week left to enter the Nonfiction Prize

There’s just one week left to enter Ruminate Magazine’s second annual nonfiction contest, the 2012 VanderMey Nonfiction Prize. We are accepting creative nonfiction in all its forms–submit your memoir, personal essay, or literary journalism by February 1st for a chance to win $1000 and publication in the Summer 2012 issue.

Our finalist judge for this year’s competition is the award-winning author and editor of The Spirit of Food, Leslie Leyland Fields. The entry fee of $15 includes one nonfiction submission of 7000 words or less, and includes a copy of Issue 24.

Curious about past winners? Download a PDF of Issue 20 to read last year’s winning piece by Josh MacIvor-Andersen, or take a look at our interview with him in our “Works with Soul” interview series.

You can read all the guidelines and submit here. We look forward to reading your work!
Ruminate Staff

*You can also see our other writing competitions here.

The Mother, the Poem, and Sentiment(ality)

I was sitting in a crowd of poets at a summer writing conference. In front of us sat a panel of editors discussing the submission process from the editor’s view. The most singular comment of that afternoon came from an editor of a prestigious review. He told the crowd of writers

2011 Pushcart Prize Nominations

Ruminate Magazine is pleased to announce our Pushcart Prize nominations for 2011. Our poetry editor and fiction and nonfiction editor each nominated two pieces in their genre:

FICTION
Allyson Armistead, “Oasis” – Issue 19
Jessica Smith, “Something Quick and Bright” – Issue 19

NONFICTION
Josh MacIvor-Andersen, “Flexing, Texting, Flying” – Issue 20
Jesse van Eerden, “So Great a Cloud” – Issue 21

POETRY
Rob Cook, “Apple Pastoral” – Issue 22
Dyana Herron, “To Robert Ripley” – Issue 21

Naming

I’ve made a tremendous mistake.

I wrote a poem. This, certainly, was not the mistake.

I published the poem. Also not the mistake.

Within this poem, I told a (“based on a true story”) story and aimed, however feebly, at an aching truth, which was not altogether reliant on the facts of the original story