The Cincinnati Review

05/06/2026

It's summer, so that means time to dice some watermelon, apply sunscreen, enjoy the late sunsets of June in the Northern Hemisphere—and submit to the Robert and Adele Schiff Awards! Our summer contest is open for entries. We'll be giving out three awards of $1000, one each for fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry. Entry fee is $25, which includes a one-year subscription. Read more guidelines on the blog today! Link in first comment.

03/06/2026

"And really, how many of us have spent the entire weekend in one pair of sweatpants, lounging around the house, putting off chores, or nursing a recent breakup..." In our latest miCRo, the flash essay "Green Hoodie," Sean Thomas Dougherty writes about his experiences at work, a residential facility for traumatic brain injuries. Link in first comment.

02/06/2026

Congratulations to contributor Carl Dennis on today's release of "Earthly Virtues" with Penguin Random House

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Dennis explores the expansiveness and complexity of universal virtues within the realm of the everyday in this thought-provoking new collection Though most of the virtues...

01/06/2026

The Schiff Awards are open! The Schiff Awards are open! Spring is springing! Win $1000 and publication in CR! Contest closes July 15. Link in first comment.

29/05/2026

Today on the site, Arah Ko shares four stunning poetry collections that honor rage—especially the feminine variety—to keep you company in the sauna of summer. Link in first comment.

27/05/2026

"Fiddlehead godhead maidenhead furred tendril up from ankle-deep bed, I unkneel moment by moment..." This week's miCRo, "Born Again" by Linda Parsons, is perfect for the season. Read the full essay on our site; link in first comment.

22/05/2026

"I remember wanting two specific things in the poem: the tradition of that intentional beginning of slave narratives ('I was born') and clear, deliberate, declarative speech."

Today on the site, contributor and emerging writer Stephen Foster Smith tells us about his poem "The Yam Reflects" in our spring issue, out very soon. Link in first comment.

20/05/2026

"How many / bags, I wondered, would my life fit inside?" This week's miCRo is a short poem by Chelsea Rathburn that exhibits empathy for the woman of the title. Link in first comment.

19/05/2026

Congratulations to contributor Lauren E. Osborn on the publication of ENTOMOLOGY OF THE PIN-UP GIRL with Dzanc Books !

An Indies Introduce Selection Winner of the 2024 Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize,  Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl  delivers a terrific play on the “monstrous feminine”—captivating stories of women shedding their skins and exoskeletons and blurring the boundaries between p

15/05/2026

"Sometimes a poem is wearing too much makeup or too many jewels, and it needs one item removed before it leaves the house."

Today on the site we speak to poet Gordon Taylor about his piece, "Memory Foam," in our upcoming issue. Link in first comment.