Thursday, December 15, 2011

Journal of the Day: Kartika Review



Due to the holidays I let this feature of the blog get behind, but let's get back on track. Today's journal we're focusing on is: Kartika Review.

Now on its tenth issue since 2007, the Kartika Review is still going strong, especially as an avenue for Asian American writers. It's one of the few left in the US that has remained committed to providing an interesting voice for Asian American literary work. You'd be surprised how many have folded in recent years or never really got past the starting gate.

The Kartika Review is still actively taking submissions in short story, poetry, as well as interviews, or frankly, anything interesting.


Formally, Kartika Review is "a national Asian/Pacific Islander American literary arts journal. Kartika publishes fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, author interviews, and art/photography. The journal launched in 2007 and as of 2011, is fiscally sponsored as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC) in San Francisco."

Their mission is to serve the Asian American community and "those involved with Diasporic Asian-inspired literature. We scout for compelling Asian American creative writing and artwork to present to the public at large. Our editors actively solicit contributions from established virtuosos in our community in hopes their works here will inspire the next generation of virtuosos. We also want to promote emerging writers and artists we foresee to be the future powerhouses of their craft. Ultimately, Kartika strives to create a literary forum that caters to and celebrates the wordsmiths of the Asian Diaspora."

I had a pair of poems appear in the Spring 2010 issue addressing themes of "Home," a topic that can be surprisingly nebulous for Asian Americans if there ever was one. In that issue I presented: "Home Is To Box As To Leave Is To Free" and "Projections Through A Glass Eye", which have not yet appeared in any of my other collections.

The Kartika Review draws its name from the Buddhist kartika, "a crescent-shaped knife, symbolizes the cutting away of ignorance and superficiality, with the hopes that it will lead to enlightenment. The kartika is kept close during deep meditation or prayer. It serves mainly as a metaphorical reminder of our self-determined life missions and never is it actually wielded in the offensive against others."  It's a good metaphor for what good literature does.

Be sure to check them out, and even better, submit some work to them! 

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