We're published by the low-res MFA in Creative Writing at Mississippi U. for Women and include fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, art, and new media.

A publication of the MFA program at Mississippi University for Women, staffed by graduate students. 

We seek stories that challenge, stories that shift our view, ignite our imaginations, spark conversations, and linger with us. 

Fiction and Flash Fiction

Creative Nonfiction

Art and New Media

Short Play

A targeted resource for short story placements with potential for Pushcart recognition.

Fiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Specialized publications that recognize exceptional brief fiction through Pushcart nominations.

A comprehensive guide to journals that regularly nominate work for the Pushcart Prize.

Literary Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Highlights publications that regularly put forward essays, memoirs, and other creative nonfiction for Pushcart consideration.

Nonfiction Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Focuses specifically on poetry journals with established histories of Pushcart nominations.

Poetry Magazines That Nominate for the Pushcart Prize

Ponder Review

General call

10:4 TENN
Ponder Review, in partnership with the Tennessee Williams Tribute Festival, is launching our sixth annual 10:4 Tenn Playwright Contest! This competition seeks to recognize and honor the Southern experience and the legacy of Columbus’s native son, Tennessee Williams through the craft of playwriting.
The top three playwrights will receive a cash prize, a festival pass, and have their 10-minute plays produced and performed in front of a live audience at the Tennessee Williams Tribute Festival. Directors and actors will be students from the Mississippi University for Women theatre department. 
Each play will be read by the staff of Ponder Review for the first round, then after carefully making their selections, the finalists will be sent off to the final judge who will decide the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. 
The guest judge for Year 6 is Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, a 2024 Tennessee Arts Commission Fellow who is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Sewanee: The University of the South where she teaches playwriting. Her plays include Gee's Bend, Fresh Kills, Provenance, and Everything That’s Beautiful, among others. Her works have been produced at the Royal Court (London), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center, Cleveland Play House, to name a few. Most recently, her solo piece, Zelda in the Backyard, had its world premiere at Alabama Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2024. Her play, Looks Like Pretty was a co-commission by the Geva Theatre and Sloan Foundation and was featured on the prestigious Kilroy's List. Her short play, All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go, won the 2023 10:4 TENN contest. 
 
Winners of the sixth annual 10:4 Tenn Playwright Contest will be announced Spring 2026.
1st place winner will be awarded a $200 cash prize as well as publication in the Fall Ponder Review issue.
2nd place will be awarded a $150 cash prize, and 3rd place will be awarded a $100 cash prize.
10:4 TENN 10-Minute Play Contest Submission Guidelines

  Plays must be at maximum 10 minutes long and inspired by the work of Tennessee Williams
  Maximum cast of 5 characters
  Play must include character and set descriptions
  Submissions should be Times New Roman 12pt font, double-spaced, in standard playwriting format
  Limit 1 play per playwright
  Along with submission, include a bio and brief synopsis of the play
  Musicals will not be accepted
  Plays should be unpublished. Ponder Review requires first-time North American publishing rights and retains the right to reprint accepted submissions in subsequent anthologies even after publication rights have reverted back to author.
  By entering this contest, the playwright claims sole ownership of work submitted and accepts responsibility for any appropriated material. Mississippi University for Women and Ponder Review accept no liability for any work used without permission.
  Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact Ponder Review if your work has been accepted for publication elsewhere.
  Manuscripts should contain no identifying information and must be submitted through Submittable only.
  Students and alumni of Mississippi University for Women’s MFA program in creative writing may not submit to Ponder Review for at least 5 years from their time in the program.
  Submissions will be accepted from September 16, 2025 until December 14, 2025

10:4 Tenn 10-minute Play Contest

Poetry
One submission of up to five poems that combine to total no more than nine pages. May be submitted as one file or in separate files.
Flash-Fiction
One submission of up to three flash stories that combine to total no more than 1,000 words. No story may exceed 750 words.. May be submitted as one file or separate files.
Art
Photography, photo essay, graphic short story, painting, collage.

  Photography, paintings, and collages: one submission of up to five images. Please submit a high resolution image.
  Photo essay: one submission of up to 3,000 words and with up to five images.
  Graphic literature: one submission of up to eight pages. 

Please bear in mind that our magazine format is 6 inch x 9 inch. though we can reduce the size of a graphics file when we place it in the magazine, we don't want text or other details to become too small.
New Media
Podcast, spoken word, interview, short film, animation, and hypertext or kinetic literature are considered for our website

  Podcast, spoken word, and interview
  Short film and animation
  Hypertext story
  Kinetic poetry or prose
  Other: surprise us

Digital files will be hosted on our website and an artist's statement and a link will be published in the print magazine.

Poetry, Flash Fiction, Art, New Media

Fiction
One story of up to 3,000 words (1,500 – 3,000 words preferred).
Nonfiction
One nonfiction piece of up to 3,000 words (1,500 – 3,000 words preferred).
Short Play 
One script excerpt or one act play of 10-15 pages. Please see plays published in our most recent issue for guidance on formatting.
Please note: These are the guidelines for a regular publication. Please check the contest page for the guidelines to our 10:4 TENN 10-Minute Play Contest.

Fiction, Nonfiction, Short Play

Short Play 
One script excerpt or one act play of 10-15 pages. Please see plays published in our most recent issue for guidance on formatting.
Please note: These are the guidelines for a regular publication. Please check the contest page for the guidelines to our 10:4 TENN 10-Minute Play Contest.

Ponder Review

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10:4 Tenn 10-minute Play Contest

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