Minerva, the Greek Goddess, is the goddess of “music, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, and the crafts.” And in the same way the goddess sprang fully grown—and bearing armor and weapons—from Jupiter’s head, so Minerva Rising Literary Journal seemeed to arrive on the literary scene in 2012 fully grown and complete.
The literary journal is an imprint of Minerva Rising Press, which seeks to celebrate the “creativity and wisdom in every woman by giving them space to tell their stories and to tell them well.” Published three times a year, the journal offers a platform for “women artists to share their diverse experiences and talents in order to nurture a collective creativity.”
Minerva Rising Literary Journal publishes thought-provoking fiction, nonfiction, memoir, essays, poetry, and photography and art by emerging and established women writers and artists. Issues are themed (check submission guidelines), and payment is by contributor copies and a small stipend: $50 for fiction or nonfiction prose and $35 for poetry.
The most-recent issue, “Fathers,” features short stories by Susanna Horng and Paula Martinac; poems by Julia Bouwsma and Laura Budofsky Wisniewski; and essays by Lee Reilly and Verna Zafra. Past contributors include Wendy Merrick Burbank, Jane Ellen Glasser, Sue Howell, Jeanne Julian, Julie Stielstra, and many more. Contributors are sometimes published in more than one issue.
One-year subscriptions are $32. Back issues are $12.
Along with the literary journal, Minerva Rising Press publishes memoir, poetry chapbooks, and novellas. The annual Owl of Minerva Award provides one woman writer $500 scholarship to pursue writerly endeavors.
Minerva Rising’s website is www.minervarising.com. They’re on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to their newsletter here.