Editorial Statements

Prose
Within Portage Magazine you will find fiction and non-fiction stories of varying genres and topics. The wide variety of things we accept all has one requirement: that the author has ties to the Midwest. Stories with a Midwestern feeling are also encouraged, though we still appreciate all quality writing. Stories that we publish capture multiple elements of quality writing, like strong characters, unique ideas or compelling plots, and leave our readers captured in their words. If you feel your stories fit this description, then please submit to our magazine.

Poetry
As Portage Magazine recognizes the complexities of poetry, we also challenge our readers to ask themselves what poetry does for them. Upon reading the last line of poem, take a moment to reflect within. Ask yourself, “What did I learn from this?” “What is the author trying to say?” “How does this make me feel/change my current viewpoints?” Here at Portage, we aim to publish works that shed new light on aspects of life that may otherwise lack proper acknowledgement. Poets who analyze ordinary occurrences with a new lens, or simply challenge the way we think are truly exercising the full potential of poetry. We are looking for poets who demonstrate Horace Miner’s concept, “make the familiar strange and the strange familiar.” Good poetry should be stirring, emotional, and unpredictable. We urge our fellow Midwestern poets to submit to us here at Portage Magazine for future editions to come.

Art
This year, the art editing team incorporated a wide range of art including the following: photography, paintings and digital art. Each artist had their own unique perspectives on two main themes: nature and/or the human body. The team looked closely at basic elements such as framing, quality, contrast and the mood that each piece of artwork gave. Each team member observed the submitted art pieces and how they reflected our chosen themes.

Features
This year’s features section consists of a series of interviews intended to highlight the unique perspectives of a few selected authors in poetry and prose. The features section also includes an article focusing on three separate artists in three unique genres not commonly featured in Portage Magazine. The intended purpose of the article is to highlight what it is like to be a creator in the Midwest. Through this we believe that new genres will be introduced in Portage and a new precedence will be set throughout all literary journals for the acceptance of many art forms.