5 Poetry Journals to Check Out Now
The poetry scene is constantly growing and changing. While established journals have been shaping and giving voice to the genre for decades, the emergence of online magazines has increased its diversity and reach. These outlets have introduced readers to incredible debut poets, a wide range of forms, and modern takes on timeless themes. There are endless journals to highlight—but here are five innovative ones we’re loving right now.
Couplet Poetry
With the tagline “where pairs of poems live,” Couplet Poetry exemplifies one of the best dynamics of the genre—the dialogue and interconnectedness between multiple poems. The journal, founded in 2021 by poet and editor Rebecca Lehmann, asks writers to submit “two poems that can’t live without each other.” This juxtaposed and dualistic approach illuminates how the same themes live on in writers’ minds, appearing again and again with new, poignant resonance. Couplet Poetry has published many outstanding poets, including Sandra Simonds, Jenny Molberg, and Alina Stefanescu.
Pollux Journal
Taking its inspiration for its name from space, Pollux Journal’s staff state that they see different languages as “constantly present but distinct objects that can be connected into constellations.” The online journal has an international and multilingual focus, publishing works that are either themselves multilingual or that address the ongoing process of learning to be multilingual. In weaving together various languages, Pollux Journal showcases how learning about cultures, countries, linguistics, and ancestries creates expansive, boundary-less literature.
The Account
Have you ever wondered exactly how some of your favorite pieces of writing came to be? The Account uncovers these mysteries and shines a light on writers’ inspiration, influences, writing rituals, and processes. The result is personal and fascinating, like getting to peer inside someone else’s head. Each published work, including poems, stories, and essays, is accompanied by an “account”—a vivid and detailed recollection of where the original idea came from and how the creator fleshed it out over time. This unique journal concept examines poetry as a practice and a discipline, revealing the connections between studiousness and creativity.
Bodega
Released as a weekly, digital magazine, Bodega playfully refers to itself as a “literary corner store.” The journal’s goal is to make literature digestible and accessible—you can scroll through an issue of Bodega on your lunch break, on the bus, or before you go to bed. Or, in the editors’ own words, it’s a “handful of essential pieces you can digest in one sitting,” usually four or five unforgettable works of poetry and prose.
Emergent Literary
Emergent Literary imagines itself as a living room. This speaks to the online journal’s focus on a lived-in, authentic, and intimate sense of community. Highlighting Black and Brown writers, Emergent Literary takes its name from urgency, but also from rebirth and new beginnings. In spite or even because of the difficult issues and perspectives within its pages, the journal emphasizes coming together to achieve liberation and joy, especially through literary expression.
Want more recommendations? Check out our past roundup of literary journals for new writers and add them to your list of magazines to read and places to submit.
