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words & pictures | summer 2026HALSEY Literary Reader
About
A semi-regular collection of words and pictures, HALSEY focuses on the art and science of living and what it means to be human. We welcome all kinds of poems and photographs, short essays on craft, and reviews of small press poetry books.
❋ Look & ListenEach issue includes poems and pictures from twenty or more artists. We also welcome short essays on craft. And maybe a review or two. Each piece is both technically sound and doing something only it can do. HALSEY is designed to be looked at and listened to.
❋ Growing TogetherWisdom comes from a collective, iterative process. HALSEY brings readers, viewers, writers, and photographers together. And each issue is organized to prompt insights, ideas, and resolution about what it means to be human, modes of understanding that none of us could reach alone. Because we need each other.
❋ Expert CurationOur readers and editors have decades of combined experience, seeking out work that is timely and timeless; that offers some surprise, taking us somewhere other than what we expected; that is touched by humor; that can be read over and over and over again without losing its power. And each issue of HALSEY is an opportunity for us to celebrate what others are doing.
❋ Discovery SpaceIndependent journals like HALSEY aren’t lucrative. We aren’t guided by target audiences or profit margins. We feature art made for love, and that art is transformed when it is placed in conversation with other pieces in each issue we produce. The voices and visions of our contributors amplify each other. That makes this humble literary journal the perfect place to discover new voices and new ideas.
Available now
HALSEY LITERARY READER
Cumulative Number 1, Summer 2026
A semi-regular collection of words and pictures, Halsey focuses on the art and science of living and what it means to be human. We welcome all kinds of poems and photographs, short essays on craft, and reviews of small press poetry books.
“Like a moon jelly or glass octopus, / she longs to be translucent.”
from “Sheer Fabric Bodysuit” by Susan L. Lin
“I am here to watch the storm / and I feel the wind like a caress / the rain like a new life”
from “Swiss Cheese Roof” by Jonathan Feldman
“She once craved honor like everybody else. Now she is doing everything wrong, and she is so happy.”
from “The Circus” by Beate Sigriddaughter
“Make me a bottle shaped by your message. / Blow me like glass in the dark.”
from “Envelope Songs” by Daniel Edward Moore
new poetry by
Tom Barlow, Susan M. Botich, Kimmy Chang, Daniel Cloyd, Roslin Cordain, Christa Fairbrother, Jonathan Feldman, John Felsner, Nancy Haskett, Paul Hostovsky, Eric Huff, Richard Jordan, Raven SC Lee, Susan L. Lin, Daniel Edward Moore, Darrell Petska, Beate Sigriddaughter, Garth Upshaw
images from
Shawn Ang, Alvin Balemesa, Willy Conley, Najib Joe Hakim, Ryan Joseph, Lawrence Krowdeed, John Magee, Alexander Mass, Eric Muhr, Houcine Ncib, Tanya Prodaan, Mihai Teslariu, Chris Weiher
Details
Publisher: Rockwood Press
Released: 2026 - July
Number: 01
Format: journal, premium uncoated paper, gloss cover
Pages: 108
Price: $15
ISSN: 3143-5149
There will come a great change. There is no way to tell how long this change has been coming. There is no way to tell what the change will be. —Carolyn Adams
Let us taste the soil with our eyes. Let us inhale sky with our hearts. —Lana Hechtman Ayers
Submissions
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General submissions are open year-round on a rotating basis. We accept poetry, short essays on craft, photographs, and reviews of small-press poetry collections.
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We do not offer submission waivers because we offer fee-free submissions at our HALSEY Literary Reader Duosuma Submission Manager. Every category at HALSEY now has no required fees.
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HALSEY is a nonprofit magazine of poetry, photography, short essays on craft, and reviews of small-press poetry collections.
Each issue includes thirty poems and ten pictures from up to twenty artists. Plus at least two short essays on craft. And maybe a review or two. We believe wisdom comes from a collective, iterative process. HALSEY brings readers, viewers, writers, and photographers together. And each issue is organized to prompt insights, ideas, and resolution about what it means to be human, modes of understanding that none of us could reach alone.
Our readers and editors have decades of combined experience, seeking out work that is timely and timeless; that offers some surprise, taking us somewhere other than what we expected; that is touched by humor; that can be read over and over and over again without losing its power. And each issue of HALSEY is an opportunity for us to celebrate what others are doing.
We are looking for poetry, photography, short essays on craft, and reviews of small-press poetry collections. We consider every submission in order to ensure that new/emerging voices are included alongside nationally recognized, award-winning authors.
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Yes! Submissions are welcomed via Duosoma. Including a brief cover letter and/or bio is fine. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged. If your work is accepted elsewhere (congratulations!), please withdraw it.
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We want to be the first magazine to publish your work, and we want all new work. That said, if a poem has only appeared in your book or chapbook or is set to appear in your book, those works may still be submitted to us, just so long as you have the rights to your own work. Please note, we only allow reprint rights for poetry not found in other magazines. We aim for First North American Rights on everything we publish. All rights revert back to the author on publication.
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Response time is typically one month.
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For Poetry
Send three poems in ONE file (.doc, .docx, .rtf only). Include a bio of no more than 50 words.
For Poetry and Photography
Send three poems in ONE file (.doc, .docx, .rtf only) and an accompanying high-resolution photograph as a separate file (.jpg or .png preferred). The photograph must measure 2,400 pixels on its shortest side. Include a bio of no more than 50 words. Include a title for the photograph and a caption of no more than 50 words.
For Photographs
Send up to three black-and-white or full-color photos that fit together and that align with an aspect of our mission. Each photo can be a .jpg or .png file and must measure 2,400 pixels on its shortest side. Include a bio of no more than 50 words. Include a title for the series and/or for each photograph and a caption for each of no more than 50 words.
For Craft Essays
Craft essays should be short, no more than a thousand words and sent as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file. Include a bio of no more than 50 words and an author photo (.jpg or .png) that measures at least 400 pixels on its shortest side.
For Reviews
Reviews should be of small-press poetry collections released in the last twenty-four months or set to be released in the next twelve months. Reviews should be short, no more than a thousand words and sent as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file. Include a photo of the book cover (.jpg or .png) that measures at least 1,000 pixels on its shortest side, a URL where the book can be found online, and the ISBN. Include a bio of no more than 50 words and an author photo (.jpg or .png) that measures at least 400 pixels on its shortest side.
Book Review Consideration
We occasionally review collections of poetry from other small presses, which have been recently published or are forthcoming. To request consideration of your book for review, send one copy to ATTN: Eric Muhr, HALSEY Literary Reader, PO Box 751, Newberg OR 97132-0751. We will notify you if we do choose to review your book. Review copies will not be sold nor returned.
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Optional payment is currently $15 per published contributor and one copy of the magazine. All payments are made via Paypal on publication. For those without a Paypal account, payment is two copies of the issue.