Check out Issue 44, Winter 2023 – 2024

Introducing  Story Seek, a multimedia love letter to Philadelphia’s streets, neighborhoods, and secret, favorite places. Work by Yolanda Wisher, Beth Kephart, L M Feldman, Krys Malcolm Belc, and Alyssa Songsiridej. Story Seek’s unique desktop app is part immersive theater, part video game, and part neighborhood poetry slam, offering users a new template for interactive, place-based digital art that celebrates contemporary urban life. Story Seek is a  collaboration between Cleaver and the Drexel Entrepreneurial Game Studio, funded in part by the William Penn Foundation and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund

Experience five video journeys now—and join our mailing list for first access to the interactive game, from Drexel University’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio and Cleaver. 

ISSUE 44 also features: Fiction by Monique Danielle, Marie Manilla, Hannah Smart, Joshua Ambre, Richie Zaborowske,  J. Bradley Minnick, and David Waters. Poems by Todd Robinson, Michelle Bitting, Gideon Huan-Lang,  Matt Thomas, Erin Mizrahi, and Ginger Ayla. Flash by Meg Pokrass, Patricia Flaherty Pagan, Kelli Short Borges, Jeff Friedman, Sue Mell, Beth Broome, Matthew Guenette. Creative nonfiction by Jennifer Jussel, and Robbin Farr.

Cleaver is Philadelphia’s international quarterly literary magazine, now celebrating eleven years of publishing the finest in contemporary fiction, creative nonfiction, flash, poetry, visual narrative, interviews, essays on craft and the writing life, and book reviews. Cleaver is an independent online magazine, free to all subscribers. We are an all-volunteer organization staffed by artists and writers who work together as promoters and stewards of literary and visual arts. Cleaver also offers affordable online generative workshops in flash, fiction, creative nonfiction, visual narrative, poetry, and narrative collage.

About Cleaver Magazine’s name: “cleave” is a Janus word, also known as an “auto-antonym”, meaning both itself and its opposite. To “cleave” is both to stick tight and to fall away. A cleaver is the most broad-edged and brutally efficient kitchen knife, designed to be swung like a hammer for the most effective channel of force. “Cleave” also means to come together with strong attachment.

Duality Nonfiction Contest

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Tips on writing, revision, craft, and the writing life from Cleaver’s editors, workshop and masterclass teachers, literary contributors, and readers. Got a writing tip to share? The Writing Tips page gives details on how to submit.


Formal craft essays on the art of writing and the writing life.


Cleaver reviewers present the most exciting literary work from around the globe. We specialize in reviewing books from American independent presses and works in translation. Interested in reviewing for Cleaver or looking to submit a book for review? See the Book Reviews page for details.


Browse excerpts from Cleaver’s latest interviews of authors and translators of books by small and indie presses. Find details on how to suggest an interview here.


Cleaver is proud to present emerging writers alongside established authors. We define “emerging” as young artists (under 30) or those of any age who are still in the early stages of their careers.


Philadelphia-based Cleaver Magazine showcases local literary voices among national and international literary artists. We are now celebrating more than ten years of publishing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, flash, profiles, interviews, craft essays, and visual narratives, many by Philadelphia-based writers and artists.


Recent Interviews, Reviews, Craft Essays