Our Fall 2013 issue will launch in late July or early August. Purchase your copy through our online store.
The list price of each issue is $12.00. Between now and May 31st, pre-orders are just $10.00.
Fall 2013 Cover Art Unveiled
We’re pleased to unveil the cover art for The Conium Review, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 2013). The artwork, entitled “River Horse,” is courtesy of Loren Kantor, a LA-based woodcut artist and writer. Loren has worked in the film industry for twenty years as a screenwriter and assistant director, and he’s been carving woodcuts for the past five years. You can find more of his work at woodcuttingfool.blogspot.com
Book Review – “Stray Decorum: Stories” (Dzanc Books, 2012)
Adam Padgett (a contributor to The Conium Review‘s upcoming Spring 2013 issue) reviews Stray Decorum, by George Singleton (Dzanc Books, 2012). Read the full article here.
Book Review – “Counting Sheep Till Doomsday” (BlazeVOX [books], 2011)
Guest reviewer Michele Merens profiles Carlo Matos and discusses his poetry from Counting Sheep Till Doomsday (BlazeVOX [books], 2011). Read the full article.
Book Review – “The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction” (Rose Metal Press, 2012)
Guest reviewer Carole Mertz takes a look at the Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction, edited by Dinty W. Moore. Check out Carole’s full review on our website.
“Bear Season” slated for release next spring (pre-order and get our latest issue too)!
The Conium Review is continuing to expand its catalogue. Bear Season, by Bernie Hafeli will be released in late February, 2013 in association with our journal.
For a limited time, when you pre-order Bear Season, you’ll receive a free copy of The Conium Review‘s upcoming “Spring 2013″ issue.
Bernie Hafeli’s Bear Season follows the journey of an eleven year-old boy and his rough-hewn uncle, both of whom embark on parallel quests for self-discovery. The coming-of-age story juxtaposes against the uncle’s historical narrative—reflecting on his time in the Polish military during World War II, stationed alongside the legendary soldier bear, Wojtek.
The author, Bernie Hafeli, holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco, and his works have appeared in The Berkeley Fiction Review, 34th Parallel, The Rejected Quarterly, and elsewhere.
This Year’s Pushcart Prize Nominations
Our nominations for the Pushcart Prize are in the mail. Congratulations to this year’s nominees!
From the The Conium Review‘s Spring 2012 issue, the Pushcart nominees are:
- “Nogoodfornothin’,” by Nick Sanford (fiction)
- “Buy Your Own,” by Margarita Meklina (fiction)
- “Dear Penthouse,” by Benjamin Schachtman (fiction)
- “Earl Grey Moonlight,” by Ben Nardolilli (poetry)
And from our Fall 2012 issue, the nominees are:
- “Inside/Man,” by Tigh Rickman (fiction)
- “Sunrise in Honolulu,” by Kirby Wright (poetry)
Book Review – “Fables” (Tarpaulin Sky Press, 2011)
Our Associate Editor, Tristan Beach, reviews Sarah Goldstein’s debut book, Fables (Tarpaulin Sky Press, 2011). Read the full review here.
Spring 2013 Cover Art Unveiled (and Pre-Orders are Available Now!)
We’ve selected cover art and created the mock-up for Vol. 2, No. 1.
The artwork is by Ivan de Monbrison. His work has appeared in NY Arts Magazine, Anobium, and elsewhere. His work has been exhibited internationally, at galleries including Espace42, the Siena Art Institute, and Galerie du Croissant.
Our Guest Editor for Vol. 2, No. 1 was Marc Schuster, author of The Grievers and The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom & Party Girl. The issue features poetry and fiction from a variety of new and established authors. It’s due out in February, 2013. You can pre-order the issue from our online store.
Chapbook Pre-Orders on Sale Now!
In mid-September, our Managing Editor announced our small press’ latest project on Burdock Radio. And now we’re ready start the pre-order for High Art & Love Poems, a chapbook by Keith Gaustad, scheduled for release in early December!
The pre-order period starts today and lasts until November 15th. To encourage early pre-orders, we’re offering signed copies and a discounted rate when you bundle High Art & Love Poems with the first issue of The Conium Review. To pre-order the chapbook, or browse our other publications, visit our Online Store.
Jim Chapson, author of Scholia (Syracuse University Press) says ”In these amulets against despair, the poet Keith Gaustad inoculates the reader against the follies of our age . . . “
And Paul Vogel, author of The Empty Quarter (Teppichfresser Press) raves “Gaustad serves up a fin de siècle salad with a side of weltschmerz . . . creating lyric paroxysms that fall like fiery plops of spittle . . . “
The special bundled rate and will only be offered as long as supplies last, so claim your copy of this chapbook and The Conium Review today!
Book Review – “On the Spectrum of Possible Death” (Copper Canyon Press, 2012)
Susan Lynch reviews Lucia Perillo’s On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths, a poetry collection from Copper Canyon Press.
Upcoming Workshops from Conium Press Editors
James R. Gapinski and Susan Lynch will be teaching courses through Mt. Hood Community College’s continuing education department this fall. Each of these fun, community-based workshops are just $29 for the entire eight-week course, and the are open to writers of all skill levels. Whether you want to write the next great book, or tinker with writing as a hobby, these workshops can help you grow as an author.
James’ short fiction course is offered through the Portland campus, and Susan’s poetry course is housed at the Gresham campus. Details for either course are found on The Conium Review’s website or through Mt. Hood Community College. Feel free to e-mail with any questions about these upcoming workshops.
Episode 8: Jasmine Cronin-Georgiadi previews Travel Tales Magazine
Book Review – “Goldfish Tears” (Pouting Bear, 2012)
Our Managing Editor, James R. Gapinski, takes a look at Goldfish Tears, a short story collection from Curtis Ackie. Read the full review on our website: http://www.coniumreview.com/goldfish-tears.html
Book Review – “Three Ways of the Saw” (Atticus Books, 2012)
Our Guest Editor, Marc Schuster, takes a look at Three Ways of the Saw (Atticus Books, 2012), a short story collection by Matt Mullins. Read the full article on our website.
Book Review – “Happy Life” (Copper Canyon Press, 2011)
The Conium Review’s Susan Lynch discusses Happy Life (Copper Canyon Press, 2011), a collection of poems by David Budbill. Read the full review on our website: http://www.coniumreview.com/happy-life.html
Literary Journal Review – “The Kenyon Review” (Vol. 33, No. 1)
Tristan Beach shares his thoughts on Vol. 33, No. 1 of The Kenyon Review.
Read Tristan’s full article here: http://www.coniumreview.com/kenyon-review-vol-33-no-1.html
And be sure to check out Susan Lynch’s profile of Vol. 33, No. 2 here: http://www.coniumreview.com/kenyon-review-vol-33-no-2.html
Book Review – “Heart of Scorpio” (Tiny TOE Press, 2012)
Our Guest Editor, Marc Schuster, reviews Heart of Scorpio (Tiny TOE Press). This novella written by Joseph Avski was translated from Spanish to English by Mark McGraw. Read the full review on our website.
Chapbook Review – “The Snipe” (JR Vansant, 2010)
Our 20th review is up! In this latest article, James R. Gapinski takes a brief look at The Snipe (JR Vansant, 2010), a chapbook by Matthew Derby. Read the review here.
Release Reading on July 23rd in Portland, Oregon
On July 23rd, there will be a release reading for Vol. 1, No. 2 of The Conium Review in Portland, Oregon. Find out details and invite your friends on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/412373975480804/
For this reading, visiting writers Jasmine Cronin and Maya West share their work. Local readers include Douglas Allen, Thor Benson, and Nancy MacLaren. James R. Gapinski and Susan Lynch also read selections from The Conium Review‘s second issue. Come get a taste of the new issue, hear some travelogues, enjoy some poetry, and share in the celebration as we launch Volume 1, Number 2 of The Conium Review.
“A Tale of Two Chapbooks”
Susan Lynch takes a look at two chapbooks: Memory Future by Heather Aimee O’Neill (winner of the 2010 Gold Line Press chapbook contest in poetry) and The Pulpit vs. The Hole by Jay Shearer (winner of the 2011 Gold Line Press chapbook contest in fiction). Read the full article on our website.
Announcing the Guest Editor for Vol. 2, No. 1
We’ve selected Marc Schuster as Guest Editor for Vol. 2, No. 1 of The Conium Review, due out in early 2013. Marc is the author of two novels: The Grievers (The Permanent Press, 2012) and The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl (The Permanent Press, 2011). And Marc teaches writing and literature courses at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
You can submit to our next issue here: http://www.coniumreview.com/general-poetryfiction.html
And you can learn more about our new Guest Editor at his website.
Book Review – “Chinoiserie” (Ahsahta Press, 2012)
The Conium Review‘s Tristan Beach reviews Karen Rigby’s Chinoiserie (Ahsahta Press, 2012), winner of the 2011 Sawtooth Poetry Prize. Read Tristan’s book review at our website.
Vol. 2, No. 1 is Open for Submissions
We’re open for submissions again! Send in your best poetry and fiction for consideration. Details here: http://www.coniumreview.com/general-poetryfiction.html
Chapbook Review – “Black Birds : Blue Horse, An Elegy” (Gold Line Press, 2012)
Associate Editor Tristan Beach reviews Natalie Peeterse’s Black Birds: Blue Horse, An Elegy, winner of the Gold Line Press 2012 chapbook compeition in poetry. Read the full article here.
Book Review – “When My Brother Was an Aztec” (Copper Canyon Press, 2012)
Susan Lynch reviews Natalie Diaz’s poetry collection “When My Brother Was an Aztec,” released by Copper Canyon Press earlier this year. Read the full article here.
NewPages.com Reviews “The Conium Review”
We’ve had positive reviews in Small Press Reviews and Stone Highway Review, and now NewPages.com weighs in. In the review, Kenneth Nichols says “the pieces draw you in with character work that is compelling” and the issue “devote[s] attention to the small moments that reflect our true identities.” Read the full review here.
International Short Story Day
I always find out about these things long after they've stopped being news, but I'm told that today is International Short Story Day. To celebrate, here are a few links to short story sources you might enjoy:
- Fiction by D. Thomas Minton Great short stories by a sci-fi writer I've quickly grown to admire!
- Philadelphia Stories I used to be on their fiction board.
“The Conium Review” is Looking for a Guest Editor
Vol. 1, No. 2 is almost completely wrapped up, and it’ll ship to bookstores and subscribers in July! This means that Ian Chung has completed his stint as Guest Editor. We’re conducting our search for the next Guest Editor now; if you’d like to work on an issue on The Conium Review, please visit this link for more details.
Last Chance for Vol. 1, No. 2 Pre-Orders
Pre-orders for Vol. 1, No. 2 of The Conium Review close on Friday, June 15th! You have less than one week to reserve your copy of our next issue. Visit our Online Store to purchase.
Literary Journal Review – “The Kenyon Review” (Vol. 33, No. 2)
Our Associate Editor, Susan Lynch, reviews The Kenyon Review, Vol. 33, No. 2. Check out the full article here: http://www.coniumreview.com/kenyon-review-vol-33-no-2.html
Chapbook Review – Ravi Mangla’s “Visiting Writers” (Uncanny Valley Press, 2011)
James R. Gapinski reviews Ravi Mangla’s chabpook, “Visiting Writers” (Uncanny Valley Press, 2011).
Read the full article here: http://www.coniumreview.com/visiting-writers.html
Temporarily Closing the Submission Queue
As we start the layout, printing, and PR for the second issue, we are temporarily closed to new submissions. We’ll begin taking submissions again in late June. Any outstanding submissions will be responded to soon as we make those final selections for Vol. 1, No. 2.
But there’s still plenty of publications, articles, podcasts, and other goodies to find on our website in the meantime!
Episode 7: Edwin R. Perry previews Midwest Small Press Festival
Book Review – “God’s Autobio: Stories” (N.O.N. Publishing, 2011)
Our Guest Editor, Ian Chung, reviews God’s Autobio, the latest book from Rolli.
Episode 6: Christi R. Suzanne reads two of her short stories
Vol. 1, No. 2 Cover Art
We’re pleased to announce Dr. Ernest Williamson III as the cover artist for Vol. 1, No. 2 of The Conium Review. Williamson is the artist behind our Spring 2012 Sampler chapbook, and we’re happy to see his work return for the full color cover of our latest issue. The issue is slated for release in July, 2012. Pre-orders of this issue are still available through our online store.
The Conium Review has a New Website!
The Conium Review has a new website. You can still find us at http://www.coniumreview.com, but the whole site has a new design. We’ve changed the look, removed the clutter, and added some new features.
Episode 5: Pitkin Review staff members talk about the editorial process
The Conium Review
Two literary journals arrived in the mail last week.
One -- which shall remain nameless -- is pretty well known, includes work from some big names you've probably heard of, and includes some mildly snarky, clever, self-aware, and affected stories, poems, and essays. In short, it's the kind of journal that all the hip kids publish in, but one that leaves me a little cold.
Book Review – Eileen Myles’ “Inferno: A Poet’s Novel” (O/R Books, 2010)
Read our review of Eileen Myles’ Inferno: A Poet’s Novel. The full article is found on our website.
Book Review – Ryan Frawley’s “Scar” (529 Publishing, 2011)
Check out our review of “Scar,” a novel by Ryan Frawley. Review courtesy of our always glamorous Associate Editor, Susan Lynch. Read the full article here.
Episode 4: Cynthia Spencer reads selected poems and chats about her craft
Episode 3: Uma Sankaram and James R. Gapinski answer listener questions
Chapbook Review – Neila Mezynski’s “Yellow Fringe Dress” (Radioactive Moat Press, 2012)
Our Managing Editor, James Gapinski, recently reviewed Neila Mezynski’s latest chapbook, Yellow Fringe Dress, now available from Radioactive Moat Press. Read the review and find a link to the electronic chapbook here: http://coniumreview.com/post/15903853334/chapbook-review-neila-mezynskis-yellow-fringe
Introducing Our IndieGoGo.com Pledge Drive
Our first fundraiser didn’t meet its goal, so we just launched a new IndieGoGo.compledge drive. We factored in pre-orders, looked at the budget, and introduced this new fundraiser to help us expand bookstore distribution for The Conium Review, support more podcast episodes, and host upcoming poetry/fiction readings.
We need your support to help fund the first issue. At various donor levels, you get a free copy of the issue, recognition in the journal, and more.
Even a $1 donation gets a reward. Every little bit helps. To learn more or contribute, please visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Conium-Review-An-Independent-Literary-Journal
And remember, tell other people about The Conium Review and help promote our IndieGoGo.com fundraising campaign on Facebook and Twitter.
A First Look at the Cover of Vol. 1, No. 1
After careful consideration, we selected a cover image for Vol. 1, No. 1 of The Conium Review. The artist behind this painting is Emma Cook. She holds a BFA from the University of Minnesota, is a recipient of the Carter Prize in Painting, and has shown her work at numerous galleries.
The issue is slated for Spring 2012 (with an anticipated February release). There’s still time to pre-order the issue through our online store. Inside this edition, you’ll find poems and stories from several new and established authors.
Here’s the mock-up of our inaugural cover.
Episode 2: Keith Gaustad talks about Burdock 10
“The Conium Review” Spring 2012 Sampler
James Gapinski, The Conium Review’s Managing Editor, recently took Conium Press on the road. During a visit to the Midwest, James performed at the release party for Burdock Magazine’s 10th issue, live at the Miramar Theatre in Milwaukee, WI. James also chatted with Keith Gaustad and Cynthia Spencer for upcoming episodes of The Conium Review podcast. Keith Gaustad is the editor of Burdock, and Cynthia Spencer a poet and founder of the Cloudburst Reading Series.
At the Burdock release, James also introduced the first printed materials fromThe Conium Review—a small, saddle-stitched preview edition. The final issue features over 150 pages of poetry and fiction in a perfect bound book with a full color cover. The Conium Review “Spring 2012 Sampler” includes five short pieces forthcoming in Vol. 1, No. 1, with a black and white cover. In the sampler, you’ll find work from Nick Sanford, Jack Granath, Thor Benson, Jeffrey Alfier, and Howie Good. The cover art is courtesy of Dr. Ernest Williamson III.
The Conium Review sampler chapbook will be coming to our store soon, and you can also find copies of Burdock’s 10th issue on our website.
“The Conium Review” Staff is Growing
We just added two new editors to the masthead for vol. 1, no. 1 of The Conium Review. We’ve received many excellent submissions, and these extra editors help us ensure that only the absolute best pieces wind up in our journal. We consider each submission thoughtfully, and weigh them against the rest of the submission queue. Both of these editors stepped into their roles last week, and they have been valuable additions to The Conium Review editorial staff.
Susan Lynch joins us as an Associate Editor. We welcomed Susan Lynch to our staff in early December, and she began supporting our online efforts with magazine reviews. She has been an avid supporter of The Conium Review since its inception, and she jumped at the opportunity to get involved first as a Staff Writer and now as an Associate Editor. Her work and enthusiasm is just what we need. Our Managing Editor, James Gapinski, has heard Susan read her poetry, and he has read some of her past work; Susan is a stellar talent, selected for her ability to provide a sharp perspective for The Conium Review.
Tristan Beach joins us as a Guest Editor. Tristan is an Associate Editor at The Pitkin Review, and her interned at Coffee House Press and Copper Canyon Press. He is currently a graduate student at Goddard College, earning his MFA in Creative Writing. Tristan writes poetry, reads constantly, and has prior knowledge and experience in publishing. He has graciously agreed to act as a guest staff member for this first issue. Future Guest Editors and interim staff members will continue to join us based on qualifications and ongoing evaluations of our editorial needs.
Further information about our new editors is available on the “About Us” page.
