Soundings East

 

Soundings East is the annual literary journal of Salem State University, published with support from the Center for Creative and Performing Arts. Founded in 1973, the journal is edited by graduate and upper-level undergraduate creative students under the aegis of an advisory editor from the writing faculty. Soundings East is dedicated to publishing high-quality poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. The magazine is distributed nationally, with recent press runs of 750 copies.

 

 

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor, Brooke Delp

Assistant Managing Editor, Paige Sammartino

Fiction Editor, Miranda Hughes

Nonfiction Editor, Matt Perry

Poetry Editor, Sam Flaherty

Social Media Editor, Mae Fraser

Faculty Advisors - Kevin Carey and Cathy Fahey

Submission Guidelines 

We accept simultaneous submissions but ask that authors label them as such, and contact us immediately if they are accepted elsewhere. Our reading period is September 1, 2021, to February 1, 2022; we'll do our best to respond within three months. Contributors will receive two copies of Soundings East, volume 44. Upon publication, all rights revert to authors.

For all categories, please only submit once per reading period.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR WORK ELECTRONICALLY USING SUBMITTABLE.

If you wish to submit hard-copy please send your work and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Soundings East
English Department - MH 249
Salem State University
352 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970

Categories of Submissions Considered

Creative Nonfiction: Previously unpublished creative nonfiction works of up to 5,000 words.
Fiction: Previously unpublished fiction works of up to 5,000 words.
Poetry: Please submit up to five previously unpublished poems in a single file. Poetry submissions are reviewed blindly.

Purchasing Soundings East, volume 43 

$10 per copy. Please forward a check made out to Salem State University to:
Center for Creative and Performing Arts
352 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970

Claire Keyes Poetry Award

The winner of the 2021 Claire Keyes Poetry Award is  Chivas Sandage of Easthampton, MA. She was awarded $1000 for a group of poems published in Soundings East, volume 43. Afaa Michael Weaver judged.

Past Winners and Judges for the Claire Keyes Award

2020

Arielle Hebert, Durham, NC
Judge, Erika Meitner

2019

Threa Almontaser, Raleigh, NC
Judge, Sean Thomas Dougherty

2018

Jenny Molberg, Central Missouri
Judge, Oliver de la Paz

2017

Faith Shearin, West Virginia
Judge, Andrea Cohen

2016

Mark Wagenaar, Denton, TX 
Judge, Ross Gay

2015

William J Snyder Jr., Moorhead, MN
Judge, Brian Brodeur

2014

Amy Pence, Carrollton, Georgia
Judge, Joan Houlihan

 

Guidelines for the 2022 Claire Keyes  Poetry Award 

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Soundings East will be given for a group of previously unpublished poems. Submit 8 to 10 pages of poetry (no more than one poem per page) with a $10/$15/$20 entry fee from Dec 1, 2021 to February 1, 2022.  Final judge to be announced.

$10 - entry fee only

$15 - entry fee and copy of the magazine for US addresses

$20 - entry fee and copy of the magazine for international addresses

Online entries only via Submittable.