They Call Us is a new online, feminist literary magazine publishing a themed issue every three months. Past themes include They Call Us Flawed, They Call Us Theirs, They Call Us Damsels, and They Call Us Dykes. The current open call for poetry, prose, and artwork is for the theme They Call Us Battered. “Domestic violence is a pandemic in of itself. It has infected communities and cultures around the world. Mainly women are subjected to abuse and all too often fear for their lives, but when the new stories come out, women are called one thing: ‘battered.’ We are so much more than what abusers inflict on us. We have lessons to share, images to portray, and stories to tell.”
Many thanks to They Call Us for publishing my poem “All Words for a Woman” in their They Call Us Bossy issue and my poem “Promiscuity” in their issue Sluts and Prudes. I love the aesthetic and artwork in this feminist zine!
Feminist leaning lit mags and journals are some of my favorites, so I interviewed editor Kailah Peters to find out more. See my interview with Peters and a link to submission guidelines below. For my updated list of feminist lit mags, check out: Feminist lit mags & journals.
HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about They Call Us.
KP: They Call Us is a feminist zine started by a small circle of DePaul friends. Each edition focuses on a different theme and brings to light the struggles of gender minorities. From objectification to beauty standards, They Call Us raises the voice of gender minorities to share their experiences.
HOPKINSON: How/why was They Call Us originally started?
KP: They Call Us started when co-founder Morgan Kail-Ackerman was cat called several times during one week. She got fed up with the way gender minorities are treated in the world and wanted to do something about it. Using her vast experience in creative writing, she partnered with me (Kailah Peters), Meg Harris, and Asko Sklandany to start They Call Us.
HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?
KP: Our target reader audience is everyone willing to learn about the experiences of others. This zine exist to raise awareness of the struggles and triumphs gender minorities face so we can all better the world. Anyone who proudly calls themselves a feminist and anyone looking to understand feminism should read They Call Us.
HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?
KP: We are looking for writing and art that brings to light the experiences of gender minorities and fits the theme of the given edition. Our writing isn’t specific to genres, but we do have a 800 word cap. Art should be a high quality digital print, scan or photograph.
HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?
KP: I personally love learning about different cultures and the global perspective. All our submissions are fantastic and we’ve started building an amazing community, but I’d still love to see more work from around the world.
HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?
KP: Poet Lore and Fruit Bat Press are two of my favorites.
HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with They Call Us?
KP: Working with passionate feminists. We are all good friends with a common goal. It feels good to laugh, joke, and fight to tear down the patriarchy with my best friends by my side.
HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?
KP: Submissions are collected through a google form found on the homepage of TheyCallUs.com
HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?
KP: Any questions can be sent to theycalluszine@gmail.com.
Click here to read submission guidelines.
- SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 19, 2022
- THEME(S): Battered – this edition will discuss the issue of domestic abuse
- FORMAT: online
- SUBMISSION FEE: None
- PAYMENT: No payment, we are a non-profit and thus do not have the means to pay writers
- ISSUE FREQUENCY: About every 3 month
- AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: 1 month
- SUBMISSION METHOD: Google form
- SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: Yes
- FORMS: poetry, prose, and artwork
- SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram
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