Call for Submissions: Ontologica

Ontologica, a Bi-annual literary magazine of art and thought is open for submissions starting 3/1/2011 to 4/30/2011. We will be accepting submissions in Non-Fiction, Fiction, Poetry and Art.

Ontologica aims to present an eclectic mix of prose and art. Ours is a journal of differing perspectives. Readers will be just as likely to encounter the Christian as the Marxist, the relative as the absolute, the liberal as the conservative in the essays we present. We want to offer material that is illuminating, challenging, and, if need be, antagonizing. Above all it must accessible. Accessibility here doesn't just mean a lack of specialized language, but a writing style that invites the reader in. Work with a philosophical slant is preferred, but not required. What is required is contemporary relevance and, more or less, general appeal. (An essay on the difference between Transcendentalist and Romantic poetry, no matter how well written, will most likely not find a home in Ontologica). Unless you lived a sublimely amazing life, no so-called creative non-fiction or memoirs.

We will include a small amount of poetry, fiction, and visual art in every issue. There is no clear-cut definition of what we're looking for in fiction and poetry, though, like non-fiction, accessibility is a good keyword. We want fiction and poetry that moves beyond simple entertainment. In the words of Robert Bly, we want work that punches a hole in the pervading culture of denial: The health of any nation's soul depends on the capacity of adults to face the harsh facts of the time. Pieces that point to the injustices of the world and reminds us of our own mortality, rather than giving us reason to ignore them, will be greeted here. Genre pieces are okay as long as, like the work of Cormac McCarthy or Robert Heinlein, the story transcends the limitations of the genre. Pieces that treat intense subjects without linguistic finesse or subtlety will not likely appear in the magazine--bring us to the battle lines without blatant preaching, childish whining, or melodrama.

All this applies equally to visual art submissions. Above all the work must have a distinct sense of subject. No ultra-modern, Jackson Pollock slapdashery. This doesn't mean we want black-and-white photos of your lawn furniture. The art we present must engage our readers, whether through shock or awe.Ontologica wants art that fantastically suggests the possible, or horrifically portrays the actual.

Non-fiction and fiction submissions should be no more than 20 pages. Please send no more than five poems. Send all submissions to:
ontologicajournal(at)gmail.com
For more information visit our website.