Since 1995, Inkwell has been a vital part of the American literary ecosystem. A publication of The MFA Program in Creative Writing at Manhattanville College, we publish new poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid genre work, craft essays, and interviews.

At Inkwell, we don’t subscribe to any single school of literature. For us, the only rule to literature is “make it good.” In keeping with this and the genre-fluid nature of our MFA Program, we are interested in seeing work in a variety of forms, both experimental and traditional, from a variety of authors, from established to emerging. Literary diversity and representing the wide range of voices currently writing in America is particularly important to us. We are drawn to work that balances the head and the heart (but if you err, err on the side of pulling at our heartstrings rather than on the side of awing us with your cleverness). If you’re writing about the personal, we’ll wonder about connections to the broader social or political landscape. If you’re writing about politics or social issues, we’ll wonder about the personal impact or complications involved. No matter the form or content, if the work moves us, makes us want immediately to re-read it, leaves us with a minor grief at having finished it, it will find a home in our pages. 

Please see genre-specific submission guidelines listed below. If you have questions about your submission or the journal, email us at inkwell [at] mville.edu.