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The editors of Bluff & Vine have produced the independent literary magazine for three years, sharing original fiction, nonfiction and poetry about the Keuka Lake region with the rest of the world. Now, they are accepting submissions for a fourth issue that will reflect the breadth of the Finger Lakes.
“We’ve been so proud to bring our beautiful Keuka Lake community to an audience of appreciative readers around the world,” co-editor Bethany Snyder said. “It’s been an honor to collect and publish work about this region by a variety of amazing voices, but we felt the time was right to broaden our horizons. There are a lot more stories to tell in the Finger Lakes.”
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed this year’s call for submissions.
“We know that creativity is difficult to harness under the best of circumstances, and that sometimes as the stresses and sorrows pile up, the energy to put words together ebbs,” co-editor Alex Andrasik said. “But we also know that sometimes the opposite is true, that crisis and uncertainty can tear down the walls holding our words back.”
The editors encourage writers from throughout the region to submit original work of all kinds — fiction, nonfiction, memoir or poetry in any form. Work should demonstrate some connection to the Finger Lakes in setting, plot or tone, but beyond that the subject matter is at each writer’s discretion. Writers are not required to be Finger Lakes residents, but should have some experience living, working or traveling in the area.
“We realize there might be a lot of pandemic-themed work on its way, and we understand and support that,” Andrasik said. “But we’re not necessarily looking to make a ‘pandemic issue.’ In the same way our first three issues focused on Keuka Lake, we’re hoping this issue will capture the vibe of the Finger Lakes.”
“Send us anything you have felt moved to work on,” Snyder said. “If your creative energy is low, take some pieces you might have saved in your files and give them a look with fresh eyes. You might have a gem waiting to be unearthed and we’d love to print it.”
The editors are eager to learn what writers from all around central New York have to offer.
“We have been amazed by the diversity of topics and themes covered by the submissions we’ve received over the past few years, from reflective post-apocalyptic zombie thrillers to gentle memoirs of the last days of World War II,” Snyder said. “We’re looking forward to being surprised by this year’s round of writers.”
Pieces should be submitted to bluffandvine@gmail.com by Sept. 30. Visit bluffandvine.com for further guidelines. Past issues are available at Longs’ Cards & Books, 115 Main St., Penn Yan, and libraries around Keuka Lake, as well as Amazon.
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