Literary Journal

Gone Lawn

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About the magazine

Gone Lawn is an independent literary and arts journal founded in 2011 by Joanna Ruocco and Joanna Howard. From its inception, the publication has served as a platform for innovative, formally adventurous writing and visual art that resists conventional genre boundaries. The journal's ethos is rooted in a commitment to the strange, the lyrical, and the conceptually rigorous, often featuring work that blurs the lines between fiction, poetry, and criticism. Each issue is thoughtfully curated, reflecting a discerning editorial vision that prioritizes aesthetic risk and intellectual curiosity over marketability. Gone Lawn has consistently championed voices that are underrepresented in mainstream literary venues, fostering a community of writers and artists who value experimentation and depth.

Editorial focus

Gone Lawn likes the magical and shiny things, and unusual and/or innovative works that baffle the fence-setters of our verdant lands and whisk away all of their dreary tools. Gone Lawn is especially partial to odd garden animals.

PoetryFiction

Submitting your work

Reading periodJan 1 to Dec 31

Reading feeNo

PaymentNo payment

Response timeLess than 3 months

Simultaneous submissionsYes

Unsolicited submissionsYes

Before submitting, carefully review several past issues to understand the journal's aesthetic and editorial preferences. Gone Lawn favors work that is linguistically inventive, structurally unconventional, and emotionally resonant. Avoid straightforward genre fiction or traditional lyric poetry unless it subverts expectations in meaningful ways. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but notify the editors promptly if your work is placed elsewhere. Include a brief cover letter that contextualizes your submission within your broader practice, but let the work speak for itself. Expect response times of several months; patience is advised. The editors value brevity and precision in both the work and the cover letter.

Read official guidelines