Loose Criteria

Did we lose something or did we get something new? In this episode Adam, Dylan, and Abigail discuss fragments as a literary form, touching on; Anne Carson 's Sappho , Maggie Nelson , Roland Barthes , Kubla Khan , Michael Crighton/James Patterson, CS Lewis, Richard Brautigan , Annie Ernaux, Joseph Cornell , Sei Shonagon, Mary Oliver , Lydia Davis, and Sheila Heti. Become a patron on patreon for bon...

I actually take things way too seriously In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss Deleuze , Whitman , Doty , Nezhukumatathil , Duras , and Eliot . Plus get a sneak peak of our most elusive editor who you may be hearing more from soon. Be sure to visit us at samfiftyfour.com , follow us on bluesky, instagram , and twitter , and support us on patreon . Closing music courtesy of SculptyWorks

We could get into the craft of it or we can just let the story take us away. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss the short stories of Emily Dixon from Issue I , Issue V , and our 2020 scary story contest as well as one published in East of the Web. Read Lockdown Baby and the Death of Liza Minelli , The Jelly and the Stars , and Witch Jesus . Emily Dixon lives in London where she works...

This is a poetry podcast, its not therapy. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss their early introductions into poetry including Sonnet 18 , Richard Brautigan , and Claude McKay ; plus divorce, spiritual blockages, the revelation of writing, and the American public school system Be sure to visit us at samfiftyfour.com , follow us on bluesky, instagram , and twitter , and support us on patreon . C...

In submitting, one edits. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss all of Tim Wilson's work that has appeared in samfiftyfour; plus Old Man Curtis and Philip K Dick. Become a patron on patreon for more discussion and a line by line reading of Lumium . Tim Wilson Lives in the Suburbs with his wife and 3.5 sons; Tim Wilson has lived many lives, but he prefers this one; Everyone agrees that Tim Wilson...

Writing and submitting are two different things. In this episode Adam and Dylan answer some frequently asked questions relating to cover letters, turnaround time, form rejections, best practices, and what we ask for in our contracts. Also a brief interlude about Wilkins Cider as referenced by Tim (Old Man) Curtis in Issue III . Please get in touch and let us know any other publishing questions you...

Why might a lit mag charge submission fees? In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss the various thought processes behind submission/reading fees, why editors have to love what they do, as well as a few tips for submitting your work. The rest of this conversation with more FAQs will be out next week. Be sure to visit us at samfiftyfour.com , follow us on bluesky, instagram , and twitter , and suppor...

Palestine +100: Stories From a Century After the Nakba In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss The Curse of the Mud Ball Kid by Mazen Maarouf, the nature and definitions of sci-fi, C.S. Lewis, P.K. Dick, and what makes a story beautiful. Find the collection from Deep Vellum. Watch Al Jazeera's Poets of Protest . Check out Walden Pond Books Be sure to visit us at samfiftyfour.com , follow us on blue...

Weird things happen weird places and then those places continue to exist. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss the concept of literary pilgrimages including City Lights bookstore, hitchhiking, Hemingway in Spain, and the graves of Oscar Wilde and F. Scott Fitzgerald; plus Lincoln in the Bardo , John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn , and Annie Dillard's Holy the Firm . Become a patron on patreon for...

The political moment and all of that. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss the nature of being a creative in turbulent times, the effects of public discussion on personal life, Jericho Brown's Hustle , Hannah Grace Nemetz Todd's Eli Dreams Nos 1-9, the ghazal as a self-incriminating form, as well as what we're looking for in our now-running essay contest. Be sure to visit us at samfiftyfour.com...

This is a piece that Reeaallyy explains itself. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss the experimental form and function of Greg Sendi's poem "Prayer for a Lost Child (with notes)"; plus advice for new poets, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner , and Maggie Nelson . Become a patron on patreon to get bonus episodes and help support samfiftyfour. Greg Sendi lives in and writes from the Rogers...

You don't have to do much, you just have to write the poem. In this episode Adam and Dylan discuss all of Steve Denehan's work that has appeared in samfiftyfour; plus the Issue II cover , Pablo Neruda's Ode to my Socks , and asmr with frida the cat. Become a patron on patreon for a bonus line by line reading of Leaving Winter Behind . Steve Denehan  lives in Kildare, Ireland with his wife Eim...

Adam and Dylan discuss The Twelfth Station, a poem that first appeared in Issue I of samfiftyfour in September 2020. Written by Maria Harkin of Belfast, this poem deals with some heavy themes including religion and suicide. Read the full poem here. Get a copy of the issue this poem appears in here.