First Look into the Nook!
Welcome to the Southeast Review's first-ever newsletter!
First and foremost, we at the Southeast Review would like to thank you for your subscription! This email marks the launch of our first-ever newsletter, the SeR News Nook, which will be published bi-weekly on Substack. Here, you’ll be able to stay in the know about all our events, take a peek into the inner workings of our literary magazine, and get to know some of our wonderful partners and staff!
Contest Winners!
For those of you who didn’t know, SeR offers four annual writing contests: the Southeast Review Art Contest, the World's Best Short-Short Story Contest, the Ned Stuckey-French Nonfiction Contest, and the Gearhart Poetry Contest. Winners and finalists in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry will be published in our biannual issue in Fall 2025.
We have just finished our voting cycles and are beyond thrilled to announce our 2024 contest winners:
Southeast Review Art Contest Winner: “Altered Spaces” by Amuri Morris
Judged by Michelle Sakhai: "The winning artist's work stood out for its emotional depth and powerful storytelling. Their ability to blend realism with symbolism created a compelling narrative that felt both personal and universal. Through bold colors and a strong sense of identity, their work left a lasting impact, evoking reflection and connection."
World’s Best Short-Short Story Contest Winner: "Victim Impact Statement" by Tayler Hanxi Bunge
Judged by Venita Blackburn: "'Victim Impact Statement' is cold, blue, metallic and salty, a horror story about an unchanging thing, not at all beautiful except in the clairvoyance of its telling. The voice speaks like an oracle, warnings of a cursed woman in a permanent state of waiting to be abused and worshipped."
Ned Stuckey-French Nonfiction Contest Winner: "If This Matters" by Sarah "Sam" Saltiel
Judged by Shze-Hui Tjoa: "I was drawn to the beautiful and evocative language in this piece-then stayed for the playful, unconventional structure. I love how the fragmentation of the "choose your own adventure" format mirrors the experience of bodily suffering that the narrator is going through..."
Gearhart Poetry Contest Winner: "My Dream Vintage 2000 / Public Hostage Situation" by Austin Tucker
Judged by Karyna McGlynn: "I was immediately drawn to the poem's unabashed pageantry and the playful way it twists language to critique modern celebrity culture. The poem struts across the page in a surreal, cinematic rush of black chiffon and heartbreak-weaving a confessional thread through every glittering line. Its fierce humor and pop-culture savvy hold us captive..."
Check out our Instagram post on @southeastreview for details on runner-ups and long lists!
Venita Blackburn Spring Reading
Our annual Spring Reading is just around the corner! Join us at The Bark on April 8th at 7:30 pm to watch the talented Venita Blackburn read from her incredible collection of works. On the off chance you are not familiar with her work, Blackburn has appeared in the New Yorker, NY Times, Harper’s, McSweeney’s, Story Magazine, the Virginia Quarterly Review, the Paris Review, and many others. She’s received numerous prizes, fellowships, and nominations, and has published two short story collections: “Black Jesus and Other Superheroes” and “How to Wrestle a Girl.”
Her debut novel, “Dead in Long Beach, California,” was published in 2024 and tells a story about the mania of grief, all of human history, and a lesbian assassin at the end of the world. She is the founder and president of Live, Write, an organization devoted to offering free creative writing workshops for communities of color. Blackburn has graciously offered to host a flash fiction workshop at FSU, which will be held on the same day as the Spring Reading at 3 pm in the Williams Building Common Room (WMS 013). All in all, mark your calendars for April 8th because you’re not gonna want to miss this!
Author Spotlight
Sefi Atta
“Visit is Free” from Issue 42.2
"She makes sure rules are followed and inmates are treated fairly. They call her Mama, and she refers to them as her children or residents."
Adapted from her forthcoming novella “Indigene,” “Visit is Free” explores the complex dynamics of incarceration, redemption, and societal perception. With a keen eye for detail, Atta delves into women's lives, navigating the harsh realities of prison and shedding light on their untold stories.
Click here to read the story!
Text adapted from Instagram. Credit to the original writer.
We Are Open to Submissions!
The Southeast Review is accepting general submissions! We are accepting poetry, literary fiction, young adult fiction, creative nonfiction, and art. Pieces are published in our biannual issues or on SER Online. If you have a piece that you think we should publish, then submit it through Submittable. For more information and specific guidelines for what we are looking for, visit our website.
Lit Trivia
Quote of the Month
“Suffering is a familiar kiss and Venus takes her time with you. the cupid bow of her lips learn you again and again. Every time she pulls away your body forgets itself and having come forth from the water, she will not return between wash days.”
- “For Colored Girls” by Amaka Nwabunnia from Issue 42.2
Stay in the Know
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Cover art credit to Hannah Stoll.
Last Thing Seen by Small Fish, 2024
oil on canvas
This is so great! ✨️
Love this!!