Free State Review [1]
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. More Stones than Beatles. More Bowie than Jagger. 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. Payment is $50-$100 for material published online.
Strange is not always better. Simple and clear are not always memorable, but it’s still possible to make a whole career painting daisies and irises (#vangogh). The editors give preference to poems which do not use the word “dancing” to describe light, and stories that do not use the word “because”—we are putting explanations on hiatus. 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.”