SUMMER 2025 DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JULY 19 at 11:59 PM

THEME: “The Fight for Representation: Stories Beyond the Margins”

From application and life cycles to coincidences that come full circle, to patterns and processes that compose our lives, to creating and breaking generational patterns, and finding patterns in seemingly meaningless data, there is repetition all around us.

For the TOEL summer series, we implore you to reflect and construct a narrative inspired by the cycles of life. Sports, seasons of the year, memories, and finding closure from a meaningful relationship are just a few ideas that may apply to this theme!

Guidelines:

• We encourage submissions to be 5,000 words or fewer, though we will publish longer works in extraordinary circumstances.

• We accept all kinds of creative work: Poetry, Short Fiction, Creative Nonfiction/Memoir, Critical Essay, Drama, Art, and Photography. If you feel that your work does not fit into one of these categories, you may select the “Other” option.

Judging Criteria:

• We are looking for (in order of importance): depth of ideas, originality, command of language, imagination, and overall excellence.