Genres Accepted: Poetry, Fiction, Essays, Reviews
Medium: Print and Online (4/year)
Established: 1973
Circulation: 2,500 to 5,000
Tagline: A peer-edited journal devoted to publishing rigorous works of undergraduate scholarship
Payment: None
About: “Painted Bride Quarterly is one of the country’s longest running literary magazines, established in Philadelphia in 1973. As a community-based, independent, non-profit literary magazine published quarterly online and annually in print, PBQ‘s main agenda is to maintain and grow a venue for the highest quality literature that best represents the individual voice. PBQ does not limit itself to one particular school or genre. We publish emerging and established regional authors in the context of their peers from across the country and around the world. The combination of PBQ‘s volunteer editorial tables and the ever-changing student staff makes its published voice unique.”
Analysis: This magazine contains a variety of styles and subjects. The fiction ranges from stylized prose to simple stories about everyday encounters. Each online issue is published in a different aesthetic style, which makes browsing them quite enjoyable. There is no announced theme for a certain issue, but themes do seem to emerge, such as the clear theme of food seen throughout the contents of Issue 84. Much of the fiction writing is easy to read and the magazine as a whole feels like it could have been written by your best friend. One has easy access to the publications online. Instead of being offered in a pdf format, readers can read the current issue categorized by genre.
Calvin Connection:
Hekman Availability: Not available
