about

Welcome to Rind & Root. We are a literary review and journal for emerging writers.

We exist because too much good writing goes unread. As a reader for other journals, I kept watching strong, strange, particular work get passed over because there wasn’t time for or space for it. At R&R we read your submissions with a different approach. We don’t aim to be a gatekeeper handing down verdicts. We’re far more likely to write back with a close edit or suggestions than to send a form rejection. If we like your work but think a poem could be sharper we’ll tell you why. If a piece isn’t right for us but could be elsewhere, we’ll often say so.

We publish poetry, short non-fiction essays, and reviews. While R&R’s main goal is discovering writers early in their careers, many of our publications center authors with a book already out. We’re especially interested in experimental and contemporary forms and tend to favor non-rhyming verse. Topic-vise, we take preference in work that discusses you. Yes, as simple as that. You as a person, you as a culture, you as humanity. We are rarely interested in works concerning nature (unless said nature stands a metaphor), because as humans we want to read about humans.

Our broader hope is to make a small dent in how literary publishing works. Most magazines reject countless worthy submissions because of not having enough slots in the issue, because of two bad lines that, for them, made the poem weak as a verdict. It is, unfortunately, often a necessity of the ecosystem. We, on the other hand, want to treat emerging writers like the future of the form (because they – you – are) and dedicate a reasonable amount of time on helping you edit and improve your work. Even if we do reject you, you will walk away with a comment of constructive criticism.

We read year-round. Submissions open soon.

— Sofia Glukhota, Managing Editor