Submissions

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Spring Theme: The Journey
Submissions are open from March 15 to May 1.
Submission Guidelines

Poetry, short story, nonfiction, book excerpts, essays, interviews, book reviews, and visual art, and media that address interfaith edges, archetypal themes of spiritual passage from any tradition, or the spirituality of relationship with the earth/cosmos/each other are encouraged at this time. All submissions must in someway speak to the spiritual life. They may reflect a religious tradition or not. Doctrinal and credal discussions are not appropriate for this literary and artistic journal, and are for some other venue. Read a little Ibn “Arabi (see below) or Han Shan; or see the old Manifestations Ezine for examples of the type of writing we are looking for.

Fiction and Nonfiction: Submission is limited to 6 pages and should be submitted in Times New Roman 12 pt., double spaced.
Poetry: Submission is limited to 5 poems, each on their own page, in Times New Roman 12 pt., single-spaced.
Interviews: Written interviews must be accompanied by a recorded track the verifies the authenticity of responses within the interview, or by a written signed statement from the person interviewed that this interview reflects the actual conversation.
Book and Movie Reviews: Reviews are limited to 500 words, double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman.
Visual Arts: Submissions for visual arts should be made in jpg or png formats. The work must be your own and reflect on a spiritual theme.
Video or Audio: Submissions should be in MPG 3 0r MPG 4.
Submissions for “The Odd Sermon” The Odd Sermon is a writer’s work in self discovery, a preaching to the self and everyone else, a poking fun. The divine may send the odd unexpected audacious and sometimes wacky preacher from within to confront the writer, and the rest of us as well, with a holy unexpected truth. The Odd Sermon is published anonymously to give the writer the latitude needed for such playfulness.
Submission Agreement
By submitting any writing you are granting one time online publishing rights to Manifestations Literary Journal, and guaranteeing it is your own work and free from copyright restrictions. Submissions should be sent to our submission manager with the genre in the title box. We are unable to offer you any money for your submission. This is not a lucrative venture, but thank you for the gift of creativity you offer to the world.
Each issue of Manifestations has both an editor and a muse.

Spring Issue Muse: Ibn ‘Arabi – Islamic poet, scholar, and saint. Let the muse inspire you with his poetry at The Ibn ‘Arabi Society, 

A taste of his work is below:

Poem 14 of the Tarjuman al-Ashwaq, translated by R.A. Nicholson.

He saw the lightning in the east and longed for the east,
but if it had flashed in the west he would have longed for the west.
My desire is for the lightning and its gleam, not for the places and the earth.

The east wind related to me from them a tradition handed down successively,
from distracted thoughts,
from my passion,
from anguish,
from my tribulation,
From rapture,
from my reason,
from yearning,
from ardour,
from tears,
from my eyelid,
from fire,
from my heart,
That “He whom you love is between your ribs; the breaths toss him from side to side.”

I said to the east wind, “Bring a message to him and say that he is the enkindler of the fire within my heart
If it shall be quenched, then everlasting union, and if it shall burn, then no blame to the lover!”

Spring Issue Editor:  Barbara Flaherty – Poet, editor, and lover of godly folly. Barbara is the author of two books, Holy Madness (Chanting Press 2007) and Doing It Another Way: The Basic Text (Chanting Press 2008). She has published poems and essays in various journals, anthologies, and encyclopedia.

Image, above: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849). Group of Mountain Climbers (Shojin tozan), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjurokkei). Japan. Edo period, 1830–32. Color woodblock print. H. 9 5/8 x W. 14 11/16 in. (24.5 x 37.3 cm). The Art Institute of Chicago, Clarence Buckingham Collection, 1925.3241. © The Art Institute of Chicago;

We also thank Han Shan and Shi De of Cold Mountain fame for gracing our pages. They are the caretakers of this site.