The Fourth River Literary Journal

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The Fourth River Literary Journal

The Fourth River is a journal of nature and place-based writing, published by Chatham University's M

The Fourth River is the literary journal of Chatham University’s MFA Program, printed annually. We welcome submissions of creative writing that explore the relationship between humans and their environments, both natural and built, urban, rural or wild. We are looking for writing that is richly situated at the confluence of place, space and identity–or that reflects upon or makes use of landscape

and place in new ways. If you have questions about our submission process or would like to order a copy of our journal, you can contact us at 4thriver[at]gmail[dot]com.

11/14/2023

Join us TODAY at 4pm for the launch of online issue #14, “Place!”

Scan QR code to register and receive the Zoom link.

11/06/2023

Mark your calendars!! NOVEMBER 14 is the launch of our 2023 Fall Online Issue, PLACE. Launch party details to come! This is such a wonderful issue and we are so excited to share it with you all!

10/31/2023

Our newest Tributaries addition, “Copper River” by Faith Allington.

Tributaries published weekly, view link in bio!

07/05/2023

UPDATE: Due to some technical issues, we are running a bit behind on our submission window. We will post again when it is ready—stay tuned! Thank you for your patience while we get this sorted.

05/25/2023

ATTENTION WRITERS!!! Our weekly online publication, Tributaries, is still open and accepting submissions!

Submission guidelines available on our website (link in bio).

04/11/2023

In honor of , check out “A P O C A L Y P S E Haiku” by Jayant Kashyap from our latest print Issue 18. You can purchase the issue at the link on our website!

04/10/2023

For those of you who don’t know, The Fourth River is run my Chatham’s MFA Creative Writing students. This semester, a handful of them took a class in which they were able to build their own independent press and publish a chapbook—all within a semester! If you are in Pittsburgh, come to the launch event to celebrate our wonderful students and their presses. If you aren’t a Pittsburgh local, no worries! You can join via Zoom (registration link above).

04/03/2023

Excerpt from ISSUE 18! Jenn Hollmeyer’s nonfiction piece “Short Leash.” The issue is still available for purchase on our website—get your copy now!

03/20/2023

Join us in welcoming our newest Tributaries Editor for 2023, Cameron Barnett! Submissions are open! Send us your best nature and place based writing!

Cameron is a Pittsburgh poet, teacher, and the Emerging Black Writer in Residence at Chatham University. He’s the author of THE DROWNING BOY’S GUIDE TO WATER and MURMUR, forthcoming from Autumn House Press. His work explores the complexity race, place, and relationship for Black people in America, more of which can be found at cameronbarnett.net.

03/17/2023

ISSUE 18 AVAILABLE NOW! Incase you missed it, we launched our latest issue at AWP last week! This collection has some beautiful pieces in it, you won’t want to miss! Cover art done by the lovely . Order now on our website!

03/12/2023

That’s a wrap on AWP! Thank you to everyone—students and alum for volunteering, contributors for making our beautiful issue, and all of you who lovingly purchased every issue we brought!!! ISSUE 18 is still available for purchase on our website [link in bio]. Until next year!

03/11/2023

LAST DAY!! Come see us at Table 702! Participate in our Scavenger Hunt for some cool prizes!!! Issues are selling fast, come get yours!

03/10/2023

Are you at AWP in Seattle? Looking for something to do between panels? Participate in our scavenger hunt!! Win some great prizes and explore the conference and beautiful city of Seattle!

03/09/2023

Hello Seattle! Come check out our AWP table (702)! Our new Issue 18 is available now!!! Mini Launch Party details to come (look out for a scavenger hunt!)

03/03/2023

Happy Friday! Spring is almost here … and so is AWP! We are so excited to see you all there. Stop by table 702 to see us and pick up our newest Issue 18! Launch party details to come.

02/24/2023

COMING SOON: The Fourth River is proud to present ISSUE 18! We will be launching the issue at the AWP conference in Seattle. Booth 702, come see us!

[note: You might have noticed the previous post said Issue 17, but the actual issue number is 18! Oops, we are people too, we all make mistakes!]

02/22/2023

“Will there always be
these awful months of fear
when I am foam of the sea” - from “I Wake Up & Deja Vu” by Idmar Oman, our newest addition to our Tributaries! Check it out now! Link in bio.

02/17/2023

Happy Friday! We are excited to announce our upcoming issue that will be available in March! We are launching Issue 17 at the AWP Conference in Seattle, March 8-11. If you will be in the area, please stop by our table at the book fair! Thank you to all of our wonderful contributors and editors. We can’t do it without you!

02/15/2023

“It is either the dying of a country or the country of bodies
Stacking an unrest to the molecules of nature, agitated” — from “Nowhere To Run” by Olumide Manuel, Tributaries. Check it out now on our website, link in bio!

12/07/2022

And we’re back!!! Check out this beautiful piece by Bhavika Sicka available under the Tributaries section of our website (link in bio). Happy December!♥️🎄

11/17/2022

What a great launch party we had! Special thank you to Kelli Russell Agodon & Melissa Studdard, our guest readers! It’s not too late to check out the issue! Link in bio.

11/16/2022

ISSUE O.13 COLLABORATIONS AVAILABLE NOW! Visit the link in the bio to view this amazing issue!

11/15/2022

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN! Send us your poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, and visual art, that explores the theme of place. FIRST WEEK FREE FOR BIPOC WRITERS.

11/14/2022

TWO DAYS until the release of our upcoming online edition, Issue O.13 COLLABORATIONS! Have you signed up for our launch party yet? Visit chatham.edu to do so.

11/13/2022

THIS WEDNESDAY: O.13 COLLABORATIONS! Register for the launch party at chatham.edu

11/10/2022

“Absolute Time In Expression” from Issue O.13, Collaborations, coming soon!

11/09/2022

“Once We Knew” by Corinna Rae Reilly, newest Tributaries edition! Link in bio.

11/07/2022

Mark your calendars! We are open for submissions on November 15! Issue O.14 “PLACE” will be our online issue for Fall 2023, so send in your best nature and place based poetry, fiction, and non-fiction! BIPOC writers submit for free the first week! Submit at the link in bio.

11/07/2022

“Have Your Garden And Eat It Too” from our upcoming issue! Who’s excited?

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https://www.thefourthriver.com/

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Videos

Psyched to behold/hold the Salvage issue! Order links in bio!

Happy winter break + whatever/emotion-you-can-feel end of December!

Happy Monday everyone!

Another ENG 529 Practicum behind-the-scenes unboxing @gingerlypress excitement!

Happy Saturday everyone! Caught a wild rainbow (will release)!

!!! @aeonpresspdx !!! These journals will be tagging along with us at AWP!

An intermission! Hi folx, Leia (she/her) here! I’m over at @rakishheir with fiber art/poems/food/stuff/morestuff but for the next week I’ll be guest posting here! I’m the newest Editor-in-Chief of The Fourth River. I’ll be sharing some things I like and some things I’m lukewarm on! I like coffee with cardamom!