writermag.com • The Writer | 39and essayists and poets.
“We get a lot of literary writing,” she
explains. “It’s not required, but we have
a lot of contributors who have a Master
of Fine Arts degree or who have pub-
lished books or numerous stories or
poems elsewhere. We also have people
who’ve just decided to write about
being a caregiver, or gradually losing
their sight, or having to start using a
walking device. They write about these
experiences in meaningful and lovely
ways, so that others can understand.”
The Summer/Fall 2019 issue
includes “Globetrotting with a Stutter,”
an essay by Brandon Lomenzo Black.
“The writer traveled through Asian
countries marked by public unrest and
demonstrations in which he didn’t take
part because of a speech disability that
made it a little harder to be under-
stood,” Johanyak explains. “He talks
about how he learned to navigate
thanks to cultural similarities and
through body language and facial ges-
tures. It was interesting to see how his
perspective on disability evolved dur-
ing such a sensitive time.”
The Winter/Spring 2020 issue also
includes a poem from writer and
actress Kira Compton. Titled “A New
Normal,” it begins:My mother asks if I am feeling
fine
and I say “yes” because the real
answer
is not one she would really want.
The real answer is that
I am feeling fine because
there is a new fine.
A new normal.
It is normal, now, to pump
intravenous medication in my
arm
so that my body does not kill
itself.Advice for potential contributors
Anyone is welcome to submit to Kalei-
doscope, Johanyak says. “Not everyone
who submits to our publication deals
with a disability themselves,” she
explains. “Writers may be family mem-
bers or caregivers for people with dis-
abilities, or they simply have a unique
perspective to share.”
She seeks personal essays and mem-
oirs, interviews, poems, short stories,
and timely book reviews about publi-
cations in the field of disability and/or
the arts. The magazine publishes art in
numerous mediums as well.
Johanyak reminds potential contrib-
utors to submit material that challenges
stereotypical and patronizing attitudes.
“For a long time, globally, anyone with a
disability might have been shunned or
silence in some ways, or not given full
respect and acceptance. For example,
we didn’t talk about mental health as we
do now. We’re starting to open up as a
society. Our publication welcomes any-
one who’s willing to share.”Contributing editor Melissa Hart is the
author of Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books
to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Accep-
tance in Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019).
Twit ter/Instagram: @WildMelissaHar t“The material chosen
for Kaleidoscope
challenges and overcomes
stereotypical, patronizing,
and sentimental attitudes
about disability.”
Genres: Fiction, poetry, nonfic-
tion, and book reviews.
Reading period: Year-round.
Length: To 5,000 words.
Payment: Up to $100.
Submission format: Via website
or email.
Contact: Editor-in-Chief Debra
Johanyak at
[email protected],
udsakron.org/kaleidoscope
@thewritermagGET
SOCIAL
Follow us on
Facebook
and Twitter@thewritermagazine