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Witness Magazine

Witness Magazine

Witness blends the features of a literary and an issue-oriented magazine to highlight the role of the modern writer as witness to his or her times. Launched in Detroit in 1987, the magazine is best known for showcasing work that defines its historical moment; special issues have focused on political oppression, religion, the natural world, crime, aging, civil rights, love, ethnic America, and exile. The issues “New Nature Writing,” “The Sixties,” “Sports in America,” and “The Best of Witness, 1987 – 2004” eventually appeared as university press anthologies. In 2007, Witness moved to Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The magazine publishes one print issue and one online issue a year, and increasingly seeks out work that contextualizes the American experience by highlighting issues of global concern.

New Free Submission Period!

As Black History Month draws to a close, we’re excited to announce we are opening up our next free submission period specifically to Black writers. Keep the celebrations going by sending your poems, short stories & essays, free until we reach capacity!

Reading from Online Issue: Jane Zwart

Jane Zwart reads her poem, “Night Class,” from our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Our readers and editors were immediately enamored with Zwart’s work. One reader notes “I find a simple and wonderous beauty to them;” our poetry editor, Lindsay Olson, writes “I was captivated by the quiet sense of longing in this poem, and appreciate the… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Eli Jacobs

Eli Jacobs reads from his essay, “Long Hard Day,” from our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. This work was originally among the finalists for the 2020 Literary Awards, and our nonfiction editor, Cody Gambino, enjoyed it so much he snatched it up for this issue. Our readers commented that this piece really took up an emotional resonance… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Justin Noga

Justin Noga reads from his short story, “An Egg Begets an Egg,” from our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Fiction editor, Wendy Wimmer, writes “Justin Noga bottled hot lightning in a Mason jar. The lines that clinched me were ‘He ordered biking attire, but only got the socks, thigh-high. He made do.’ Plus, hard-boiled eggs in unexpected… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Doris W. Cheng

Doris W. Cheng reads from her short story, “The Choice, 1988” from Witness Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Fiction Editor, Wendy Wimmer, noted that this story “was such an arrow into my heart. A primer in exquisite narrative.” Our readers were quickly captivated by Cheng’s ability to wield the power of the second person point of… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Arianne Zwartjes

Arianne Zwartjes reads from her essay, “Cities of Broken Teeth, Cities of Dust and Blood” from Witness Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Our readers were drawn into this thought-provoking and lyric work in which Zwartjes explores devastation in the wake of human cruelty and violence in times of war. It is an artful composition at a… [Read More]

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We love our writers, readers, & subscribers! As a special treat this season, we’re offering $5 off memberships and gift memberships when you use the code “”LITLOVE” at checkout. That’s 2 years of everything we make, and a fancy badge to wear for special occasions! Much love to you!   Click here to shop Membership

Reading from Online Issue: Kristina Ten

Kristina Ten reads an excerpt from her short story, “Two Hundred Ways to Disappear,” from our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Our readers quickly fell in love with this one, and Fiction Editor, Wendy Wimmer, notes that this story “is one that I kept thinking about for weeks… …The boyfriend, the hole, the language how it twisted… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Molly Reid

Molly Reid reads from her Pushcart-nominated short story, “Talk with Stranger,” which appears in our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. This story was selected as a finalist in our second Witness Literary Fiction Awards, and we liked it so much we just had to have it for the issue. Reid’s work is beautifully rendered as she wields… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Cleo Qian

Cleo Qian reads from the short story, “We Were There,” which appears in our Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Qian’s work first caught our readers’ interest with its beautiful attention to detail. “The author has a gift for visceral descriptions, for creating an atmosphere,” one reader noted. Another reader was compelled by the thought-provoking imagery, and even… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Adrie Rose

Adrie Rose reads a selection of work along with her Pushcart-nominated poem, “The Anthropocene” (4:00), which appears in Witness Magazine’s Fall/Winter 2020 Issue. Rose’s poem became a prescient mantra for the work we selected in this season of pre- and full-pandemic lockdown. Where she writes “The seasons / are coming loose,” we caught a glimmer… [Read More]

Reading from Online Issue: Christopher Citro

Witness Weekends are back with a bang! Join us as Christopher Citro reads from his poem, “The New Avenues the Only Avenues We Have,” from the Fall/Winter 2020 Online Issue. Citro’s work was a fast favorite among our readers, who found his poems well-crafted, intimate and surprising. Ultimately we were drawn in to the blue-dark… [Read More]

Spring 2023

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Editor-in-Chief Areej Quraishi

Managing Editor Benjamin Stallings

Engagement & Design Editor Lindsay Olson

Fiction Editors Tanya Shirazi & Xueyi Zhou

Nonfiction Editor Dominque Conway

Poetry Editor John B. Oldenborg

Editorial Assistant Charlie Bartlett

Contributing Editors Henry Gunderson, Anne Livingston, Cecil Lycoris, Leah Mell, Marlan Smith, Kelly Stith, Carlos Tkacz, Jo Wallace

Readers Justine Baker, Carrie Bindschadler, Nicholas Bon, Sara Brown, Alycia Calvert, Delight Ejiaka, Benjamin Favero, Jordan Foster, Eli Jacobs, Arel Wiederholt Kassar, Veronica Klash, Clarissa Leon, Alice Letowt, Aeriel Marillat, Nicole Minton, Destiny Pinder-Buckley, Avery Portis, Sara Tausendfreund, Layhannara Tep, Tonya Todd, Rachel Walker, Kailee Wingo

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Trans Visibility

We support, uplift and publish Trans voices. In today’s U.S. climate of anti-trans rhetoric and policy, and the killing of trans bodies and minds, it is imperative that as a literary magazine, we commit to publishing a global range of trans writers, with no attempt at policing what trans looks and sounds like. We respect people on the trans spectrum and seek to be a safe place for trans thinkers and trans stories.

Consider donating to the following causes:

Transgender Law Center
The Okra Project
Emergency Release
Marshap


Black Lives Matter

We stand together with the Black community and commit to double down on anti-racist efforts. We continue our mission to amplify extraordinary voices, feature writers from every part of the globe and add to the conversations surrounding oppression, prejudice, fear, and raw honesty. 

As ever, as always, and forever, Black lives matter.  

We remember: Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, George Floyd, Atatiana Jefferson, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor  

We remember the victims in Las Vegas: Tashii Brown, Keith Childress, Trevon Cole, Sharmel Edwards, Stanley Gibson, Junior Lopez, Roy Anthony Scott, Bryon Lee Williams, Rex Wilson 

We hold space for the numerous other Black people whose names did not enter the public record, or whose lives have been lost to the archive.  


Stop Asian Hate

We denounce the increasing instances of bias, harassment, and violence against Asian and Asian American individuals in our community and elsewhere. We recognize and grieve the devastating effects of anti-Asian rhetoric, and we stand with all of those who are experiencing this and other forms of racism and xenophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic.


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Thank you for your continued support of our little magazine.

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Can you get a Witness?
Why, yes. Yes you can. 

Become one of our members to subscribe to two years of everything we make. You’ll receive our themed, print issues as well as our capsule/zine issues!

Visit our online shop to get started with a membership, or to order individual issues.

Looking for a specific issue or back issues from the vault? Contact us via email and we will make sure to oblige!

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Winter 2020

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Editor-in-chief Jarret Keene & Emily Setina

Managing & Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson

Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer

Assistant Fiction Editor Robert Ren

Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino

Poetry Editor Lindsay Olson

Readers Anthony Farris, Dylan Fisher, Ruth Larmore, Kathryn McKenzie, Chantelle Mitchell, Flavia Stefani, Jordan Sutlive, Ariana Turiansky, Alexandra Murphy, Bronwyn Scott-McCharen, Carrieann Cahall, Ilanit Moskul, Jo Hahn, Marycourtney Ning, Sanjana Gothi, Sarah Spaulding

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Spring 2021

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Editor-in-Chief Emily Setina

Managing & Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson

Fiction Editor Robert Ren

Assistant Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi

Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino

Poetry Editor Heather Lang-Cassera

Readers Alexis Noel Brooks, Alycia Calvert, Benjamin Stallings, Chelsi Sayti, Claire Mullen, Dylan Cloud, Erin Turner, Flavia Stefani Resende, Jennifer Quintanilla, Jeremy Freeman, Jesse Motte, John Oldenborg, Jonquil Harris, Jordan Sutlive, Justine Baker, Kelly Lindell, Lynda Montgomery, Mir Arif, Percy Kerry, Sara Guiang, Sara Tausendfreund, Sarah Spaulding, Stephanie O’Brien, Stephen Ira, Steven Aiken, Talia Aharoni, Tonya Todd, Vandana Sehrawat, Veronica Klash, Win Frederick

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Winter 2021

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Editor-in-Chief Emily Setina

Managing Editor Christina Berke

Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson

Fiction Editor Robert Ren

Assistant Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi

Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino

Poetry Editor Andrew Collard

Readers Erika Abad, Steven Aiken, Mir Arif, Justine Baker, Alexis Noel Brooks, Soni Brown, Alycia Calvert, Cristina Cisneros, Dylan Cloud, Emily Daniel, Win Frederick, Sara Guiang, Stephen Ira, Eli Jacobs, Veronica Klash, Kelly Lindell, Lynda Montgomery, Jesse Motte, Stephanie O’Brien, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Mark Ranchez, Flavia Stefani Resende, Chelsi Sayti, Vandana Sehrawat, Sarah Spaulding, Benjamin Stallings, Jordan Sutlive, Sara Tausendfreund, Tonya Todd, Erin Turner

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Spring 2022

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Editor Robert Ren

Managing Editor Christina Berke

Engagement & Design Editor Lindsay Olson

Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi

Nonfiction Editor Mir Arif

Poetry Editor Jo O’Lone-Hahn

Editorial Assistant Oona Robertson

Contributing Editors Alycia Calvert, Emma Hardy, Henry Gunderson, Eli Jacobs, Nicole Minton, Ezra Noel, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Amanda Santana, Marlan Smith, Ben Socolofsky, Sarah Spaulding, Sara Tausendfreund, Olivia Williams, Sara Guiang

Readers Erika Abad, Justine Baker, Charlie Bartlett, Alexis Noel Brooks, Veronica Klash, Alice Letowt, Laurel Miram, Jesse Motte, Mark Ranchez, Benjamin Stallings, Vandana Sehrawat, Tonya Todd

Faculty Advisor Maile Chapman

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Fall/Winter 2022

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Editor Robert Ren
Managing Editor Christina Berke
Assistant Managing Editor Benjamin Stallings
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi
Assistant Fiction Editor Xueyi Zhou
Poetry Editor Jo O’Lone-Hahn
Nonfiction Editor Mir Arif
Editorial Assistant Oona Robertson
Faculty Advisor Maile Chapman
Readers Erika Abad, Helen Armstrong, Justine Baker, Charlie Bartlett, Audrey Bauman, Sara Brown, Alycia Calvert, Cristina Cisneros, Post Earth, Jordan Forest, Sara Guiang, Henry Gunderson, Stephen Ira, Eli Jacobs, Veronica Klash, Alice Letowt, Nicole Minton, Lynda Montgomery, Jesse Motte, Ezra Noel, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Amanda Santana, Vandana Sehrawat, Marlan Smith, Sarah Spaulding, Kelly Stith, Sara Tausendfreund, Tonya Todd, Olivia Williams
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