Cleaver Magazine

10/15/2021

The unsung hero of the creative process is revision, but the aversion to it that so many of us feel can be laid at the feet of most of our experiences of formal schooling, wherein NO ONE ever showed us how to engage with work past the first draft. In this technique-based master class, Lise will teach you strategies and practices that will take your creative nonfiction projects from their jumbled beginnings to polished, publishable gems.

REVISING *IS* WRITING:
Unlocking the Creative Potential of Self-Editing in Creative Nonfiction
A Master Class in Craft
with Cleaver Creative Nonfiction Editor Lise Funderburg
SINGLE SESSION: Sunday, Nov 21, 2021

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/revising-is-writing-unlocking-the-creative-potential-of-self-editing-in-creative-nonfiction-a-master-class-in-craft-by-lise-funderburg/

The unsung hero of the creative process is revision, but the aversion to it that so many of us feel can be laid at the feet of most of our experiences of formal schooling, wherein NO ONE ever showed us how to engage with work past the first draft. In this technique-based master class, Lise will teach you strategies and practices that will take your creative nonfiction projects from their jumbled beginnings to polished, publishable gems.

REVISING *IS* WRITING:
Unlocking the Creative Potential of Self-Editing in Creative Nonfiction
A Master Class in Craft
with Cleaver Creative Nonfiction Editor Lise Funderburg
SINGLE SESSION: Sunday, Nov 21, 2021

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/revising-is-writing-unlocking-the-creative-potential-of-self-editing-in-creative-nonfiction-a-master-class-in-craft-by-lise-funderburg/

10/14/2021

Please join us as we hear from the work of contributors to Cleaver's latest issue. Readers will include: Peter Amos, Daniel Cooper, Sara Davis, E.A. Farro, Tom Laichas, Tanya Liu, Tricia Park, JM Parker, Regan Puckett, Sarah Schiff, Kathryn Silver-Hajo, Kimm Stammen, and Melody Wilson.

Register Here: https://bit.ly/Issue35Readings

Please join us as we hear from the work of contributors to Cleaver's latest issue. Readers will include: Peter Amos, Daniel Cooper, Sara Davis, E.A. Farro, Tom Laichas, Tanya Liu, Tricia Park, JM Parker, Regan Puckett, Sarah Schiff, Kathryn Silver-Hajo, Kimm Stammen, and Melody Wilson.

Register Here: https://bit.ly/Issue35Readings

10/14/2021

“Most novels in the genre come off a bit preachy, warning us page after page that X, Y, and Z will be our downfall. Perhaps even more grating, they go through the trouble of explaining exactly how it will end, as if we can be certain of that from our pre-apocalyptic world. Tapiero looks at these conventions and casually walks past them.”

PHOTOTAXIS by Olivia Tapiero and translated by Kit Schluter —
reviewed by Dylan Cook:

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/phototaxis-a-novel-by-olivia-tapiero-reviewed-by-dylan-cook/

“Most novels in the genre come off a bit preachy, warning us page after page that X, Y, and Z will be our downfall. Perhaps even more grating, they go through the trouble of explaining exactly how it will end, as if we can be certain of that from our pre-apocalyptic world. Tapiero looks at these conventions and casually walks past them.”

PHOTOTAXIS by Olivia Tapiero and translated by Kit Schluter —
reviewed by Dylan Cook:

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/phototaxis-a-novel-by-olivia-tapiero-reviewed-by-dylan-cook/

10/13/2021

PHOTOTAXIS, a novel by Olivia Tapiero, reviewed by Dylan Cook

Cleaver frequent contributor Dylan Cook reviews PHOTOTAXIS, novelist Olivia Tapiero's take on a post-COVID apocalyptic world. (Translated from the French by Kit Schluter, from Nightboat Books.) "There’s something refreshingly laid-back about Olivia Tapiero’s take on apocalyptic fiction. Most novels in the genre come off a bit preachy, warning us page after page that X, Y, and Z will be our downfall. Perhaps even more grating, they go through the trouble of explaining exactly how it will end, as if we can be certain of that from our pre-apocalyptic world. Tapiero looks at these conventions and casually walks past them...." Read the full review today on Cleaver.

h/t Ryan Strader, review editor

PHOTOTAXIS by Olivia Tapiero translated by Kit Schluter Nightboat Books, 128 pages reviewed by Dylan Cook There’s something refreshingly laid-back about Olivia Tapiero’s take on apocalyptic fiction. Most novels in the genre come off a bit preachy, warning us page after page that X, Y, and Z will...

10/13/2021

Submit a book review to Cleaver! We are especially interested in reviewing books from American independent presses and works in translation.

See our site for more info:https://www.cleavermagazine.com/recent-reviews/

Submit a book review to Cleaver! We are especially interested in reviewing books from American independent presses and works in translation.

See our site for more info:https://www.cleavermagazine.com/recent-reviews/

10/12/2021

Plunge into the murky waters of what is meant by “voice” in poetry. In this 5-week workshop, participants will be encouraged to find themselves within their language and explore the ways in which they may take on an identifiable style while maintaining flexibility across different pieces.

VOICE LESSONS: Identifying and Creating Perspective in Poetry, taught by Cleaver Senior Poetry Editor Claire Oleson
October 16 – Nov 20
Asynchronous with optional Zoom meetings

https://bit.ly/CleaverVoiceLessons

10/11/2021

"I showed up that night looking like I cared too much and right in front of everyone she called me this other name. I realized how inconsequential I was no matter how perfectly I applied my makeup."

TELL ME HOW TO BUILD AN AUDIENCE WHILE YOU MOVE YOUR ARMS AND LEGS LIKE SERPENTS & SCARVES IN THE DARK OF A CATTLE RANCH, #flashfiction by Kelly Gray in our current issue.

https://bit.ly/3iz8pcW

"I showed up that night looking like I cared too much and right in front of everyone she called me this other name. I realized how inconsequential I was no matter how perfectly I applied my makeup."

TELL ME HOW TO BUILD AN AUDIENCE WHILE YOU MOVE YOUR ARMS AND LEGS LIKE SERPENTS & SCARVES IN THE DARK OF A CATTLE RANCH, #flashfiction by Kelly Gray in our current issue.

https://bit.ly/3iz8pcW

10/11/2021

"At the bar for artists, glaring, middle-aged men and goateed boys with glasses danced slowly, foot to foot. A mustached Turk in a baseball cap looked on, shuffling his feet now and then. Jean-Pascal and I danced. Frédéric got drinks."

AUTOPSY OR, THE HOUSE OF YOUTH (LIKE A RUSSIAN MOUNTAIN), short fiction by J.M. Parker, in Issue #35.

https://bit.ly/3Fj01rz

10/11/2021

She taught me to hitchhike, /
shoplifted my first bra, considered me a coward.
–
SURVIVOR GUILT, a poem by Melody Wilson, in our current issue.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/survivor-guilt-by-melody-wilson/

10/08/2021

The fingertips know things. Their ridged
whorls …. confess… the … whole.. body’s
whereabouts.

The fingernails know things too, and knew
them even before the teeth.
–
FLOUNDER, a poem by Tom Laichas, in Issue 35.
https://www.cleavermagazine.com/flounder-by-tom-laichas/

10/08/2021

Don’t talk.

Don’t say a word.

Keep your mouth shut.

Unless he talks first.

And if he talks first, listen carefully.
–
A FEW NECESSARY HOUSEHOLD RULES FOR SYBIL, #flahsfiction by Gay Degani, in Issue 35.

https://bit.ly/2YiE3Vf

10/08/2021

"My shoulder hurt a lot after the second dose and the following morning I found a thorny vine had sprouted from beneath the Band-Aid."

MODERNA, #flashfiction by Nikolaj Volgushev, in our new issue.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/moderna-by-nikolaj-volgushev/

10/07/2021

“…a testament to Siranian’s ability to make each poem feel like we are gazing at a fresh, open wound, that is, at the same time being tended to with great care.”

SHE (Seven Kitchen Press) by Theadora Siranian was reviewed by Juniper Jordan Cruz on Cleaver.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/she-poems-by-theadora-siranian-reviewed-by-juniper-jordan-cruz/

“…a testament to Siranian’s ability to make each poem feel like we are gazing at a fresh, open wound, that is, at the same time being tended to with great care.”

SHE (Seven Kitchen Press) by Theadora Siranian was reviewed by Juniper Jordan Cruz on Cleaver.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/she-poems-by-theadora-siranian-reviewed-by-juniper-jordan-cruz/

10/07/2021

Tilt and: our slip of a room / in Havana, stumbling on the party downstairs, sweet /
cake kiss, warm cola in colored cups.
–
MONOCULAR, a poem by by Tingyu Liu, in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/monocular-by-tingyu-liu/

10/07/2021

"I couldn’t name it at the time, but I know now that I was wary, especially in those first weeks, of spoiling her solitude, of pinching her while she dreamed, of who she might have become with her eyes closed and how much of it she’d remain if I woke her too early."

NIGHTS WHEN I’M TIRED, short fiction by Peter Amos, in Issue #35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/nights-when-im-tired-by-peter-amos/

10/06/2021

PITCHING YOUR ESSAY, taught by Claire Rudy Foster, begins this Sunday, October 10. Don’t miss this chance to hone your first impression with editors!

During class, writers will build confidence in their pitches as they craft an all-purpose pitch letter that is adaptable and versatile. We will discuss our writing from a business angle and learn to understand what editors are looking for in a pitch.

More info: https://www.cleavermagazine.com/pitching-your-essay-taught-by-claire-rudy-foster/

10/06/2021

“Bea’s smiling face shone out from behind Teddy’s Old Spice aftershave, hair trimmer, and zippered shoe polish kit neatly arranged on the bureau top, a stack of accounting ledgers and a fountain pen off to one side.”

THOUSAND-WATT SMILE, flash fiction by Kathryn Silver-Hajo, in Cleaver.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/thousand-watt-smile-by-kathryn-silver-hajo/

10/06/2021

“It’s not as if falling was something new. Early on, I fell from my crib, I fell through haystacks, I fell from grace, I fell behind the church to kiss the bridesmaids, I fell between heaven and hell then into marriage and when my good husband was taken off to war I fell into despair.”

SEVEN STARTS TO THE WOMAN WHO WENT OVER THE FALLS IN A BARREL, short fiction by Frankie McMillan, in Issue #35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/seven-starts-to-the-woman-who-went-over-the-falls-in-a-barrel-by-frankie-mcmillan/

10/05/2021

TELLING STORIES OF DISABILITY AND ILLNESS, A Generative Open-Genre Course led by Michelle Renee Hoppe, begins THIS Thursday at 7:30pm ET.

In this workshop, we’ll interrogate the ways illness has been used as a trope or misrepresented in literature to the ways we have and are moving toward a less ableist representation of disability.

Register now! https://www.cleavermagazine.com/telling-stories-of-disability-and-illness-taught-by-michelle-hoppe-october-2021/

10/05/2021

You take my hand and we climb to the falls. The noise / of life filters up: laughter, singing. I am relieved / when the roar of water engulfs the din.
—
SILVER FALLS, a poem by Melody Wilson, in Cleaver Issue #35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/silver-falls-by-melody-wilson/

10/05/2021

“Floating” a piece in the collection, FROM THE HEART OF OLD MAGAZINES, by Sherry Shahan #collage

See it now on Cleaver:

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/from-the-heart-of-old-magazines-sherry-shahan/

“Floating” a piece in the collection, FROM THE HEART OF OLD MAGAZINES, by Sherry Shahan #collage

See it now on Cleaver:

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/from-the-heart-of-old-magazines-sherry-shahan/

10/05/2021

"Ahead of us now was absolutely nothing but the sea. I stood, at an end and a beginning, imagining I could see the curve of the earth."

"Jumping Off the End of the World," flash nonfiction by Kimm Brockett Stammen, in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/jumping-off-the-end-of-the-world-by-kimm-brockett-stammen/

10/05/2021

doe deer’s ribs on hard cement
honey fur still clean and pristine
same wet pink thread of mine
in coiled cervine braid
–
"flats," a poem by Danny Cooper, in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/flats-by-danny-cooper/

10/04/2021

“I’ve never slept with a man of my own. Even my almost-husband started as someone’s boyfriend, the kind that couldn’t resist me. Something about me screams I’ll be what your girlfriend isn’t right now.”

“Leftovers,” short fiction by Regan Puckett, appears in our current issue.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/leftovers-by-regan-puckett/

10/02/2021

In this masterclass we’ll discuss the differences between reading and acting, as well as various strategies for connecting with an audience to leave them wanting more. We’ll talk about your choice of material, how long you should read, and how you can fully prepare in order to feel confident your listeners will be engaged and entertained.

The Art of Reading Your Work in Public, A Masterclass by Author and Actor Dinah Lenney

SINGLE SESSION: Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3-5 pm ET
Limit 6 participants

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/presentation-and-performance-the-art-of-reading-your-work-in-public-a-masterclas-by-dinah-lenney-october-17-2021/

In this masterclass we’ll discuss the differences between reading and acting, as well as various strategies for connecting with an audience to leave them wanting more. We’ll talk about your choice of material, how long you should read, and how you can fully prepare in order to feel confident your listeners will be engaged and entertained.

The Art of Reading Your Work in Public, A Masterclass by Author and Actor Dinah Lenney

SINGLE SESSION: Sunday, October 17, 2021, 3-5 pm ET
Limit 6 participants

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/presentation-and-performance-the-art-of-reading-your-work-in-public-a-masterclas-by-dinah-lenney-october-17-2021/

10/01/2021

“Ma grumbles that she should have married the Banker from Boston, while Pa pretends not to hear, but it is an otherwise perfect day.”

“The Oregon Trail,” flash fiction by Mike Itaya, in our new issue. #flashfictionfriday

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/the-oregon-trail-by-mike-itaya/

10/01/2021

“15. But whether liar or fool, you have your self-proclaimed dream girl right here and you won’t jump through some hard, emotional hoops with your wife to be with said dream girl.”

29 Reasons Why There Will Be No Reply,” flash nonfiction by Chelsey Clammer, in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/29-reasons-why-there-will-be-no-reply-by-chelsey-clammer/

10/01/2021

“Some of our fathers die drunk in head-ons or face down on the factory floor, their rotted hearts knotted as pine trees. Some of our fathers carry their coffins and try not to cry.”

“Our Fathers,” flash fiction by Sarah Freligh in our current issue. #flashfictionfriday

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/our-fathers-by-sarah-freligh/

09/30/2021

“In this city of nearly ten million people, I’m invisible most days. On this day, I was finally visible but only because I was a spectacle. I scrambled up as quickly as I could, but I was dazed and embarrassed. And hurt.”

“The Distance From Here to There,” an essay by Tricia Park, in #CleaverMagazine. #litmaglove

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/the-distance-from-here-to-there-by-tricia-park/

09/30/2021

“If I had clocked Kenny Vicarini we would have kissed. Not at that point, of course—I would have waited until the swelling went down.”

“Named,” flash fiction by Alex Juffer, in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/named-by-alex-juffer/

09/30/2021

My sister and I recall that old Stingray
while we sit a vigil in the critical care unit.
She melts into the vinyl cushions
and I lean sideways, balanced like a circus
acrobat one moment before falling.
—
“Stingray,” a poem by John Cullen in Issue 35.

https://www.cleavermagazine.com/stingray-by-john-cullen/