The Garfield Lake Review: Spring 2027 Edition Free

**Public submissions close October 9th, 2026**

**University of Olivet submisisons close October 16th, 2026**

The Garfield Lake Review prides itself in accepting a wide selection of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual arts from the Olivet community and beyond. Our theme this year is Escape.

Whether it is an escape from a place, a situation, a person, or reality, you get to define what "Escape" is in your work. If you're not certain whether something you have fits, don't self-reject! There are many ways to interpret Escape in writing, and there are definitely many ways to interpret a theme in reading as well. We are looking for variety!

If you'd like to familiarize yourself with what kind of work has caught our attention and has been included in past editions, visit or page at https://www.garfieldlakereview.com/recent

We accept art in any form that may be reproduced on a page. We are looking for work that is engaging and striking. Fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, photography, and other art are all welcome. All submissions are reviewed anonymously, regardless of form, which ensures that no author will be judged by race, creed, sexual orientation, or political ideology.

Technical Details

• Prose submissions should be double-spaced and not include your name in the body, header, footer, or file name.
• We accept files in the following formats: docx, doc, and rtf. Submissions with strong visual components like comics or graphic narratives should be submitted as .jpg files.
• Please name your files with your submission's title (NOT your name) -- file names like "Story 1" make file management difficult. Prose submissions are limited to 3000 words. We do accept excerpts of longer work and may publish the longer piece on our website--please include and label the excerpt and the entire work in your submission.

Multiple and Simultaneous Submissions

• Individuals may submit up to five pieces total, in any combination of media. If your pieces are the same genre, you may put them in the same submission. All pieces will be reviewed individually.
• Our review time is short: we will make decisions by January 1st. We do accept simultaneous submissions; however, please let us know immediately if your work is no longer available.

The Garfield Lake Review is the annual literary and visual arts magazine produced by University of Olivet students, and it is a proud member of the University of Olivet Media Board. We produce a print journal and post an online edition on our website. Contributors in the continental U.S. may receive a complimentary copy and purchase additional copies. Other contributors may pay shipping and receive their copy.