LiteraryUpstart

Literary Upstart, our annual short-story competition and reading series, is now accepting submissions—it's a snow day, what are you waiting for, here are the guidelines—and, as we gear up for the first reading, in March, we're proud to announce the judges for this year's competition.

Our Distinguished and Frequently Sober Panel of Literary Insiders will, as they do every year, assess the literary quality (and performance) of each of the stories, and pronounce their judgments at the readings, in sessions equal parts Maoist self-criticism and American Idol (but friendlier than either). We value them for their wit and wisdom, and so should you. There are five returning judges, and one new addition to the panel, which is:

It is with glowing pride and an undertaste of panic that we at The L Magazine now announce our seventh annual (oh christ, really?) Literary Upstart short fiction competition and reading series. We'd love for you to come to the readings this spring, and submit your previously unpublished short fiction starting today?

If you're already familiar with Lit Up, skip past the jump for this year's info and Call for Submissions. If not, briefly: Literary Upstart pits the city's creative underclass against itself in a boozy short fiction Thunderdome, in which writers (that's you) submit previously unpublished short fiction for a chance to read at one of three spring semifinals, where a panel of judges headed by Ben Greenman offer good-natured American Idol-style critiques and select the finalists who'll vie for ca$h money and publication in our summer fiction. Plus there's lots of cheap booze, and more fun stuff.

Dates, venues, judges, drink specials and more are all still to be announced, but you can start submitting, now. Here: