Kawsmouth is a literary site I’ve been wanting to launch for a long time, and now that we’re one full lunar cycle into the Year of the Dragon, it’s a great time to do so.

I envision Kawsmouth as the online equivalent of a local watering hole — an entertaining spot to tell and hear stories (and maybe try out a few you aren’t 100% sure are ready for public consumption). I’d like for Kawsmouth to develop into a platform where writers feel encouraged to take risks, and readers know they will always be able to find something unique and original.

Submissions can include fiction, poetry or essays, but are by no means limited to those formats. An interview, historical study, crackpot theory, character sketch, letter to or from a fictional entity, previously unpublished thesis — all of these make for great material as well. Works of visual art, photography and multimedia are also encouraged as long they include some kind of caption or back story.

If you’d like to contribute but aren’t sure what to write, take a look at the themes page or feel free to ask for feedback. Whatever you decide you’d like to submit, don’t hold back because you’re afraid it won’t be perfect. Much like the Fifth Fridays events this project sprang from, the goal of Kawsmouth is to bring people’s work out of the margins and into a venue where it can be seen and discussed by others. In short, we’re all friends here.

Kawsmouth will undoubtedly evolve over time in how it looks and operates, so please be sure to send in any suggestions. In the meantime, have a look around the site and pass this on to any friends you think might be interested.

Please send all submissions and correspondence to kawsmouth(at)gmail.com, or just write in to be added to the (no more than) monthly email list.

Thank you for your interest, and look for issue #1 sometime in March,

Lucas and Jennifer Wetzel