Looking for Poetry Readers!

Hi there! We’re gearing up to open submissions for Issue VIII (more on that soon!) and we’re looking for poetry readers.

While the staff is all unpaid, working for Bracken will bring experience that evolves your poetic sensibilities, and comes with chances for advancement.

We’d prefer to see applications from prospective readers with some publication history, and we’d love to hear from members of under-represented groups.

If you’re interested, please send a brief cover letter and CV to Jed Myers, Bracken Poetry Editor, at medjyers@hotmail.com.

Spring is just around the corner, and Bracken has some news

Hello and happy spring, everyone!

We’re so thankful for your support of Issue VI. We’re still basking in its glory.

But we have little time for true basking because we’ve been very busy indeed with Bracken’s first ever print anthology. Our cover is all finished. All we’re gonna say is that we got the amazing Jana Heidersdorf to do it. You’re all going to love it. And now we’re off to reviewing the first proof, which by the way, is a thing of beauty in itself. Just imagine Bracken’s esthetic translated into print. It’s going to be very special.

Once the anthology is off to the printers, we will start making plans for a release party. All we know is it will be in Seattle, it will be awesome, and we think it will be around May. Stay tuned for further details.

And one last thing. I know you’re wondering about this but Bracken is not open to fiction or poetry submissions yet—the editorial staff is taking a break to concentrate on the anthology. Thank you again for your continued support and we’ll be posting more updates soon!

-Bridget from Team Bracken

Breathe, the Autumnal Equinox is Here

Well hello there.

We hope your summer has been enjoyable and fruitful, and that your creative spirit is ready to attract new energy as the seasons change.

On September 22, we will witness the delicate balance between night and day firsthand, at the Autumnal Equinox. The equinoxes (from the Latin aequi equal, and nox night) always remind me that we all have certain parts of ourselves, of our lives, that we keep in the light for others to see, and other parts we keep in the dark, private. This is not to associate the light with good things and the dark with evil, but rather the two parts of the same self. The desire to express the balance of light and dark is palpable in literature, painting, and photography. We love to read about how the events unfolding in the lives of characters (the light, the visible) affect their inner state (the dark, the private). We love watching them struggle through turmoil and find inner poise. Visually, the play of shadow and light is as beautifully reflected in chiaroscuro paintings of the Renaissance as it is in the lenses and filters of cameras.

Here, at Bracken, we're growing our next issue, which will be born this Fall. We've got some beautiful pieces to share with you all in poetry, fiction, and art, but we're always looking for more good work.

This fall, enjoy the colorful leaves, the waning rays of the sun, and the quicker onset of night. Go in. And if you want some inspiration, browse our past issues where you can find gems like Sara Backer’s “I Asked the Alchemist” or Claire Hermann’s “Runaway.”

Until next time, Happy Autumn!

Bridget Nee

Seeking Fiction Reader and Website Manager

Updated 4/22. We have filled all the positions. We look forward to opening for submissions soon!

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Updated 4/16. We have filled the Fiction Editor position and are now looking for a Fiction Reader and Website Manager.

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Bracken magazine is looking for a  Fiction Reader. We are also looking for a Website Manager. Website Manager can be a separate position or can be combined with the reader role.

Bracken is an online fiction, poetry, and art magazine inspired by old-world storytelling. We embrace both the literary and the fantastic. To get a better idea about what we are, browse our issues.

We initially set out to be a quarterly magazine, but we’ve struggled to keep up this pace, and have realized we need more staff. Hence this call for interested participants.

These are unpaid positions. None of us is making any money on this labor of love. You will get valuable experience working with our Editor-in-Chief (Alina Rios).

Bracken receives on average about 300 fiction submissions per issue.

For the Fiction Reader, the tasks would be:

• Read all the fiction submissions.
• Select the submissions that adhere to Bracken’s aesthetic, and pass those to the Fiction Editor.

For the Website Manager, the tasks would be:

• Create all the pages for each new issue.
• Create a table of contents and update navigation for each new issue.
• Create the cover using Bracken font and the provided cover image.
• Consider and propose refinements to the overall look of the magazine.
• If you are interested, solicit featured and cover artwork for new issues.

To apply:

Email Alina Rios (alinka29ATgmailDOTcom) with your resume and cover letter.

You can be located anywhere in the world (or in another world), as long as you have email. We will conduct interviews over Skype.