Chautauqua, literary journal

09/22/2026

We are proud to share three more of Chautauqua Literary Journal’s poetry nominees for the Best of the Net anthology!

✨ “Directive” by Don Hogle
✨ “Reed” by Harry Newman
✨ “Scenes from a Meal” by Annalee Roustio

Each of these poems captured our editors with its memorable language, thoughtful perspective, and poetic craft. Congratulations to Don, Harry, and Annalee on their well-earned nominations!

09/22/2026

We are delighted to announce the first group of Chautauqua Literary Journal’s poetry nominees for the Best of the Net anthology!

✨ “Fireflies” by Charlotte Matthews
✨ “My Son Makes a Gesture My Mother Used to Make” by Laura Kasischke
✨ “Night Train” by Marjorie Maddox

Through vivid imagery, distinct voices, and emotional depth, these poems left a lasting impression on our editors. Please join us in congratulating Charlotte, Laura, and Marjorie on this well-deserved recognition!

09/22/2026

We are proud to share Chautauqua Literary Journal’s creative nonfiction nominees for the Best of the Net anthology!

✨ “Our Faces in Glass” by Dina Greenberg
✨ “New Words” by Suzanne Strempek Shea

Through reflection, vulnerability, and masterful storytelling, these pieces invite readers to see the familiar in new ways. Congratulations to Dina and Suzanne on this exciting and well-earned recognition!

Read “New Words” at chautauquajournal.com.

09/22/2026

We are thrilled to announce Chautauqua Literary Journal’s fiction nominees for the Best of the Net anthology!

✨ “St. Ophelia’s School for Drowned Girls” by Lily C. Buday
✨ “The Intruder” by Anna Scotti

These unforgettable stories captured our editors through their compelling voices, rich storytelling, and lasting emotional impact. Please join us in congratulating Lily and Anna on their well-deserved nominations!

09/17/2026

“There is no shortage of good days. It is good lives that are hard to come by. A life of good days lived in the senses is not enough. The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less; time is ample and its passage sweet. Who would call a day spent reading a good day? But a life spent reading -- that is a good life.”
― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life: The Classic Essay Collection on the Creative Process

09/10/2026

Meet the team behind Chautauqua! ✨ We’re excited to bring together our creativity, perspectives, and love for literature as we work on this year’s journal. Stay tuned for what’s ahead! 📖
Social Media:
Lilly Purdy, Bridget McBride, Holly Brabble, Zoe Burke,Clark Sawyer, and Riley Barr
Literary Citizenship:
Pat Mestraz, Eri Mitchell, Ridge Anderson, Emily Vaca, and Amelia Allen
Website Design:
Bryce Frye, Charlotte-Grace Foxx, Jacob Posta, and Katherine Watterson

Editor: Jill Gerard

09/10/2026

The Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize in Poetry (formerly the Lexi Rudnitsky Poetry Prize) is a collaboration between Persea Books and The Lexi Rudnitsky Poetry Project.  This annual competition sponsors the publication of a poetry collection by a woman or nonbinary person who has yet to publish a fu...

09/08/2026

Don’t miss this opportunity.

Have a personal essay you want to share with the world? Submit it to our reading period for the chance to be featured in a future issue of Ploughshares! https://pshares.org/submit/submit-writing/

08/08/2026

Congratulations, Stephine. Such perfect news.

07/12/2026

And Kerry is going to the final. Whoop