Calling all Softies!
Issue 9 submission call, new website, and BotN nominations
Hi Fruits, it’s Senior Editor Casper again, back with some exciting announcements! We hope you’ve been busy writing for our next issue, Kill the Part that Cringes, because today (or technically, this past Friday) is the day. Submissions for Issue 9 are officially open!
You can access our submission platform here or through our website
Please refer to our submission guidelines when submitting your work. We are unfortunately a very busy volunteer staff, so if there is missing information in your summary or notes, we may not be able to give your work the time and consideration it deserves. Thank you in advance!
But what does “Kill the Part that Cringes” mean anyway?
What are we really looking for? What is our definition of cringe? Maybe you’re not asking any of those questions and I’m answering my own line of questioning. I don’t care because I’ve broken my cringe-ometer and I’m answering them anyway. Here’s an excerpt or two from the full description on our website:
“Cringe is almost always the collision between authentic human emotion and our collective agreement to pretend we don’t have feelings. It’s sincerity without armor. “That’s so cringe” has become our cultural shorthand for dismissing anything that dares to take itself seriously, honestly, emotionally, or without shame.”
“The most radical act might be caring publicly, obviously, without apology.
Cringe culture and its reactionary ideologies have a history of normalizing the humiliation of marginalized communities, downplaying the ritual harassment and abuse of Black and Brown, Trans*, Queer, Disabled, and Fat people.
How do we “kill the part that cringes” so the part that loves can finally breathe?”
Speaking of our website, you may have noticed we have a brand new look! Keep an eye out as we slowly upload our archive little by little. As of right now, we have a few pieces from Issue 6 uploaded, so go check them out now!
You’ve all been waiting to hear about our nominations for this year’s Best of the Net, and I’ve been so excited to share! These pieces really stood out to the Senior Editorial and Art staff and we are so proud to have had the opportunity to uplift these exceptional voices.
Poetry nominations
post-shot reaction by Liam Strong (Issue 5: Ritual)
Pegging, a Pastoral by Melanie Robinson (Issue 6: Queer Ecology)
brunch with my othering by jp thorn (Issue 7: Home)
jakarta date night 2013 by Patricia Kusumaningtyas (Issue 7: Home)
Rooms: Kitchen by Emily Rose Miller (Issue 7: Home)
Still Life With Hurricanes Forming in the Distance by Kimberly Hall (Issue 7: Home)
Fiction nominations
An Unexpected Encounter by Kathleen (Tac) Tacelosky (Issue 7: Home)
tu me manques/kisâkihitin/be well by Shannon Brown (Issue 7: Home)
Nonfiction nominations
Hua| Fruit| Word by Dejan Ann Kahilina’i Perez (Issue 6: Queer Ecology)
The Model Apartment by Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick (Issue 7: Home)
Art nominations
Cycles II by Morgan Hyatt (Issue 6: Queer Ecology)
Feral by Orion (Issue 6: Queer Ecology)
The Reclamation of Eden by Jalisa Sousa-Silva (Issue 6: Queer Ecology)
Thank you so much to all of our nominees for submitting their work with us, and to all of our readers, contributors, and submitters. We appreciate all of your support that allows us to do what we do.
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It’s time to wrap up another fruity fresh peel! Thank you for reading our issues, donating, and even just sharing your kind words. Your support means the world to us. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you.
Keep up to date with all things Fruitslice here, our instagram, or our website. See you soon!
Until then—stay juicy,
Casper & the Fruitpeel Team 🍊