AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought
"We feel that we are being compelled to accept an order and to arrange the elements of the novel...at the novelist's bidding. In looking back at the few novels that we have glanced at here we can see how astonishingly we lend ourselves to first one vision and then to another which is its opposite. We obliterate a whole universe at the command of Defoe; we see every blade of grass and snail shell at the command of Proust. From the first page we feel our minds trained upon a point which becomes more and more perceptible as the book proceeds and the writer brings his conception out of darkness. At last the whole is exposed to view...something girding it about like the firm road of Defoe's storytelling; or we see it shaped and symmetrical with dome and column complete, like Pride and Prejudice and Emma... As the pages are turned, something is built up which is not the story itself."
- Virginia Woolf, "Phases of Fiction"
Volume 5, Issue 3
IN THIS ISSUE:
POETRY: Bismillah (from Three Disintegrated Sonnets for Abbas Husain, M.D.) by Abby Minor
FICTION [Contest Winner]: Micromorts by Veronica Tang
POETRY: Love Letter to Language: An Abecedarian by Saramanda Swigart
PROSE POETRY: If you were all water (and you mostly are) by M. Ann Reed
FICTION (NOVEL EXCERPT): Map of Memory by Jesse Schotter
POETRY: Bismillah (from Three Disintegrated Sonnets for Abbas Husain, M.D.) by Abby Minor
FICTION [Contest Winner]: Micromorts by Veronica Tang
POETRY: Love Letter to Language: An Abecedarian by Saramanda Swigart
PROSE POETRY: If you were all water (and you mostly are) by M. Ann Reed
FICTION (NOVEL EXCERPT): Map of Memory by Jesse Schotter
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...Or, enjoy past issues from our free online quarterly version below.
Volume 5, Issue 2
FICTION [Contest Winner]: The Looking Glass of Arthur Gordon Pym by Frank Meola
POETRY: drunken man on a bicycle by Dan Butterworth
NOVEL EXCERPT [Contest Winner]: Wolf Tickets Through the Feral Winter (excerpt from Feverglades) by Kirk Marshall
POETRY: contra Formalisme & other poems by Leland Seese
ESSAY: Sylvanus, Bard by Marc Lerner
POETRY: drunken man on a bicycle by Dan Butterworth
NOVEL EXCERPT [Contest Winner]: Wolf Tickets Through the Feral Winter (excerpt from Feverglades) by Kirk Marshall
POETRY: contra Formalisme & other poems by Leland Seese
ESSAY: Sylvanus, Bard by Marc Lerner
Volume 5, Issue 1
STAGEPLAY: Intimate Things by Laylage Courie
PROSE POETRY: A Distinctive Duplication & the united nation of poetry rejects the full stop from 'A Series of Punctuation' by Hajar Hussaini
NON-FICTION: Rot and Gloriana by Laurel Miram
POETRY: Blues on Red by Elie Doubleday
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LITERARY EXPERIMENTS: My Fiction: Remembering Fifty Years of Work by Richard Kostelanetz
PROSE POETRY: A Distinctive Duplication & the united nation of poetry rejects the full stop from 'A Series of Punctuation' by Hajar Hussaini
NON-FICTION: Rot and Gloriana by Laurel Miram
POETRY: Blues on Red by Elie Doubleday
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LITERARY EXPERIMENTS: My Fiction: Remembering Fifty Years of Work by Richard Kostelanetz
Volume 4, Issue 4 (2019)
ENDNOTES: Endnotes for an Allocution by Peter Freund
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: The Holywood Deuteronomy by Jim Shankman
POETRY: At the Mad Hatter-March art gallery (and other poems) by M. Ann Reed
MEMORANDUM: Memorandum on Desire by Laylage Courie
POETRY (Contest Winner): ukemi (and other poems) by Nicole Vento
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: The Holywood Deuteronomy by Jim Shankman
POETRY: At the Mad Hatter-March art gallery (and other poems) by M. Ann Reed
MEMORANDUM: Memorandum on Desire by Laylage Courie
POETRY (Contest Winner): ukemi (and other poems) by Nicole Vento
Volume 4, Issue 3 (2019)
A FABLE, A DECLAMATION, and A PARABLE: The Machine, Stolen Fire, & Performance by Vivek V. Narayan
POETRY: First Fruits (and other poems) by Stephen Massimilla
ALLITERATIVE PROSE POEMS: Once Upon a Tomorrow-Time (and other works) by Christopher Pieterszoon Routheut
POETRY: Yield Light of Way by yours truly, the happy recluse, a.k.a Ken Goodman
POETRY: Seven Tales by Sara Streett
POETRY: First Fruits (and other poems) by Stephen Massimilla
ALLITERATIVE PROSE POEMS: Once Upon a Tomorrow-Time (and other works) by Christopher Pieterszoon Routheut
POETRY: Yield Light of Way by yours truly, the happy recluse, a.k.a Ken Goodman
POETRY: Seven Tales by Sara Streett
Volume 4, Issue 2 (2019)
SHORT FICTION: The Punch-Card Ciphers by DF Short
POETRY: She Was the First to Give a Toast, and the Last to Say Goodnight by Kelli Russell Agodon
POETRY: Hablu L-Waridi (The Jugular Vein) by Jesse Hilson
SHORT FICTION: Sofa, So Good, Sort of (or John Muafangejo) by Remi Ngamije
POETRY: The Key to Dreams by Sean S. Bentley
POETRY: She Was the First to Give a Toast, and the Last to Say Goodnight by Kelli Russell Agodon
POETRY: Hablu L-Waridi (The Jugular Vein) by Jesse Hilson
SHORT FICTION: Sofa, So Good, Sort of (or John Muafangejo) by Remi Ngamije
POETRY: The Key to Dreams by Sean S. Bentley
Volume 4, Issue 1 (2019)
MULTI-FORM PROSE: I Think Outside the Box (and other pieces) by Heikki Huotari
SHORT FICTION: Stamping the Dead by Habib Mohana
PROSE POETRY: Legs & A Footnote on the Baleful Effects of Happiness A. Joachim Glage
SHORT FICTION: Lužánky by V.B. Borjen
SHORT FICTION: Stamping the Dead by Habib Mohana
PROSE POETRY: Legs & A Footnote on the Baleful Effects of Happiness A. Joachim Glage
SHORT FICTION: Lužánky by V.B. Borjen
ARCHIVES
Volume 3
Volume 3, Issue 4 (2018)
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POETRY: Tales Unsuitable for Children by Devon Ortega
POETRY: Wake Up (and other poems) by JayJay Conrad POETRY: Among the Men is April by Logo Wei POETRY (CONTEST WINNER): Black Roses by Osamase Ekhator POETRY: Meet Me Tonight on Metaphor Street by Vivek V. Narayan POETRY: Sweet and Dusk by Melinda Giordano |
Volume 3, Issue 3 (2018)
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NOVELLA: Menage A Trois, With Horse by Don Dussault
PROSE POETRY: Blue Sky Language by Christien Gholson POETRY: Un Detective Viejo by Franco Strong PHILOSOPHICAL RUMINATION: The Black by Ben Colandrea |
Volume 3, Issue 2 (2018)
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POETRY: Pantoum of the Meat by Ouita Rogers
SHORT FICTION: The Cleansing by Linda Dennard POETRY: Shuffle by Debbie Fox POETRY (CONTEST WINNER): Did you fall or rise from the cloud of unknowing? by M. Ann Reed NOVELLA EXCERPT: The Philosopher and the Pornqueen by Omar Sabbagh POETRY (CONTEST WINNER): Kigali Memorial by Carlos Andrés Gómez |
Volume 3, Issue 1 (2018)
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SHORT FICTION (a journey in footnotes): Pointless Mr. Probst by Beatriz Seelaender
POETRY: Less' More by Twixt ESSAY: How to Write a Biography by Joanne B. Mulcahy SHORT FICTION: Protocol Nine-Nine-Nine-Nine by Kenneth Hanes |
Volume 2
Volume 2, Issue 4 (2017)
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SHORT FICTION (CONTEST WINNER): Claimed by the Sea by Sam Reese
PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY/APHORISMS: Sylvan Passages by Dan Wood POETRY: Sister Alone by Janet M. Powers SHORT FICTION: Century 2.1 by Alan Flurry |
Volume 2, Issue 3 (2017)
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SHORT FICTION (CONTEST WINNER): Crosshatching by M.K. Rainey
SHORT FICTION: Lullaby by Barbara Daddino PROSE POETRY: Housemouth (and other poems) by Anhvu Buchanan and Brent Piller SHORT FICTION: The Residue in Public Tea and Coffee Cups by V.B. Borjen POETRY: Syzygy (and other poems) by Malorie Seeley-Sherwood |
Volume 2, Issue 2 (2017)
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ESSAY: And Richard Burbage Had a Sister by Freya Shipley
SHORT FICTION: The Watchers by M.K. Rainey POETRY: Jazz Interaction With Symbols by Sarah T. POETIC ESSAY: Dragonflies: A Discourse on Anxiety by Lara Lillibridge POETRY: Spider (and other poems) by Natalie Crick |
Volume 2, Issue 1 (2017)
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SHORT STORY: Echoes by Daniel Freeman
POETRY: Maps, guided thought tape #30, & guided thought tape #5,723 by Susan Brennan SHORT STORY: Edgar's Father's Magic Words by JWM Morgan POETRY: Lockjaw: In Two Acts, Pyramids of Complex Thought, & A Comet's Return by James Blevins NOVEL EXCERPT (CONTEST WINNER): What the Living Do (Chapters 1 & 2) by Susan E. Wadds |
Volume 1
Volume 1, Issue 10 (2016)
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NOVELLA: Susurros de Recurrencia by Franco Strong
NOVEL EXCERPT: The Old Man from Deep Rooted Cane by Sarah T. POETRY: Permutations, With Thyme, & Listening by Laura Cesarco Eglin POETRY: World Peace 3 & Visitation by Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca |
Volume 1, Issue 9 (2016)
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SHORT STORY: Little Ghost by Danny Judge
SHORT STORY: The Last Allusionist by Sakina B. Fakhri POEM: Church by Diana McClure |
Volume 1, Issue 8 (2016)
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POETRY: Devil in a Blue Dress by Nancy Flynn
EKPHRASTIC PIECE: What I Couldn't Say by Erika Ranee (visual art) & Diana McClure (poetry) NOVEL EXCERPT: Zixin at Dinner from The Speech of Flowers and Voiceless Things by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Volume 1, Issue 7 (2016)
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JANUARY 2016 CONTEST - WINNING ENTRY: Brass Tyrant and the American Thirst by Kirk Marshall
EKPHRASTIC PIECE: Clap, Clap Back / Cafe Society by Diana McClure (poetry) & Anders Jones (photographs) SHORT FICTION: Lady Killer by Monika McGreal Viola SHORT FICTION: The Ribbons by Ferguson Williams |
Volume 1, Issue 6 (2015)
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SEPTEMBER 2015 CONTEST - WINNING ENTRY: New Age Uncaged by Frank Light
EKPHRASTIC PIECE: Immigration/Integration by Diana McClure (poetry) & Jaret Vadera (visual art) AZURE ORIGINAL SERIES - INSTALLMENT 3: Aurelia: A Ballet in Prose (Act 2 - Part 1) by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Volume 1, Issue 5 (2015)
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NARRATIVE VERSE: The Trials of Tobit by Joseph Lisowski
POEMS: Like Many Giant Footprints (and other poems) by William Doreski AZURE ORIGINAL SERIES - INSTALLMENT 2: Aurelia: A Ballet in Prose (Act I) by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Volume 1, Issue 4 (2015)
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FEATURE STORY: Wardencliff by Barbara Daddino
JUNE 2015 CONTEST - WINNING ENTRY: Better Living Through Chemistry by Reg Darling AZURE ORIGINAL SERIES - INSTALLMENT 1: Aurelia: A Ballet in Prose (Libretto) by Sakina B. Fakhri A COLLECTION: A Verse, 2 Poems & A Thought by Diana McClure |
Volume 1, Issue 3 (2015)
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"WIKI" FICTION: Lawton, Oklahoma by Mark Lawley
FLASH FICTION: Tweety Bird's Grace by Diana McClure FLASH FICTION: Contagion and the Dinner Guest by Sakina B. Fakhri POETRY: On Poetry and Prose by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Volume 1, Issue 2 (2015)
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Re: Seasons on a Gravestone by Maxwell Demian
NOVEL EXCERPT: Chapter 1 (from The Speech of Flowers and Voiceless Things) by Sakina B. Fakhri SCENE: A Conversation by Diana McClure EXPERIMENTAL SCREENPLAY: Two Mice in a Black Box and the Deconstruction of Language by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Volume 1, Issue 1 (2015)
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SCENE: Cocktail Party by Diana McClure
SHORT STORY: Seasons on a Gravestone by Sakina B. Fakhri CHARACTER SKETCHES: Professor Charlene Cox & Nicky Paul by Diana McClure NON-FICTION: Vocabulary, the New SAT, & Algerian Post-Colonialism by Sakina B. Fakhri |
Our mission: We love work that is linguistically, intellectually, and emotionally demanding of the reader. We want literary fiction that grows in complexity upon each visitation. All writers tend to develop a scrap heap of brilliant writing - sharp dialogue that has been cut in service of a plot, a philosophical tirade that can't quite be couched in a narrative, a stunning imagistic landscape of linguistic pyrotechnics that seeks an audience... Literary beauty exists in more than the conventional narrative, we believe, and the most cerebral moments cannot necessarily be expressed in more than bursts and fragments. We seek to provide a space for those portions of works that have been cut away through no fault of their own as well as for those who have achieved a more traditional fruition.
Every piece published in AZURE appears alongside a customized black & white sketch that is devised and executed by our in-house illustrator, Evgenia Barsheva.
Every piece published in AZURE appears alongside a customized black & white sketch that is devised and executed by our in-house illustrator, Evgenia Barsheva.
Customized illustrations for all published pieces are provided by Evgenia Barsheva.