Editorial Focus
Free State Review is published four times every three years by Galileo Press / Galileo Books. Their motto is “Totally Limited Omniscience.” More John Waters than Chekhov. Joni Mitchell and James Brown more than anyone. Definitely start on the down beat! The magazine has its roots in Telescope which was published 1983–1990. They offer two copies of the mag, and $50-$100 for material published online. We don't zoom very much but we do have live shows with our contributors around the country.
Tips From the Editor
Strange is not always better. Simple and clear are not always memorable, but it’s possible to make a whole career painting daisies and irises (#vincentvangogh). The editors give preference to poems which do not use the word “dancing” to describe light, and to stories that do not use the words “because”—we are putting explanations on hiatus--and to any first line that bagins with "when." Like the ghost says, “The job of the poet is not to explain the mystery. The job of the poet is to make the mystery greater.” We once asked the drummer for punk band Half Japanese to explain the role of static in defining contempory art and he responded, "There's no such thing as static." We agree.