June 30, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Painting Naked" by Kimberley Idol
"Look, look, look." The boyfriend turned to show me a strip of masking tape attached to his dick.
"Don't get primer on that," I replied. I think I have painted more than a hundred rooms in my life. I attack the task as I do all tasks, like line drives. Painting in the nude was the best way to avoid washing acrylic off another T-shirt, even if I have dozens. If you travel to Amsterdam and you can not afford the Renoir or the Natchez triple dresser, a T-shirt emblazoned with green people boffing doggy style can substitute as a souvenir. Plus, I run in a lot of 10Ks. This activity nets you shin splints, free orange juice and free T-shirts. Allison and I run them once a month. We go to class together, bar hop together and run together. Last week we entered the Santa Anita Run. Someone miscalculated the length, the race was .75 miles longer than it should have been. When you strategise for 6.2, 6.95 takes a toll. You've spent all you had before the last mile and so you dodder along in the end, like a rented pony. They still owe you the T-shirt however, no matter how late you cross the finish line.
Posted by The Editors at 09:27 PM in Literary Journal
June 25, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Words" by Caroline England
The searing heat of righteousness kept Mrs H company through the night, at least until the early hours, and even then the feeling of having been wronged, indefinable though it was, still burned in her dreams.
During her waking moments, she tried to identify the cause, to concentrate on the nub, but her mind was in spasm, convulsing with thoughts, moments and memories but unable to focus on any one thing. Archaic, antiquated. No longer of relevance, she thought. Mrs H closed her eyes and recounted the books from the well-stocked library of her childhood home.
She slept again, eventually, and woke at dawn feeling thirsty and vaguely bereft. Getting herself out of the lofty bed was more of an effort than usual, and she averted her eyes from the looking glass as she always did. She had been almost beautiful once and didn't need to be reminded of a face consumed and robbed by lonely old age and secret obsession. She cleaned her teeth for longer than usual, focusing on nothing except the swirl of blood in the bowl when she spat.
Posted by The Editors at 10:09 AM in Literary Journal
June 20, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Voice on the Water" by Louis M. Abbey
"How can you say you'd like one? You don't know anything about boats," I said. My father sat on a kitchen chair, a Time magazine on his lap.
"Don't know exactly, but I feel it," he answered, distracted. The Red Sox were on the radio. The commentator's staccato monotone crackled over the hoarse breath of the crowd.
"Feel it. What do you mean by that, Dad?"
"I feel it, David, right here," he punched the center of his stomach. "When Williams smacks a homer, he doesn't feel contact, his gut just knows. Same as me about a boat, I know I'd love one—you would too, holding the wheel, wind in your hair, it just feels right, doesn't it?"
Posted by The Editors at 12:22 PM in Literary Journal
June 15, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Anniversary" by Michael Zapata
My parents are dancing. Their steps are Venn Diagrams, permanently looped into the oak-wood flooring. Their bodies are concentric hemispheres. They are rocking back and forth and my mother's heels are clicking like Amtrak wheels...
Posted by The Editors at 02:23 PM in Literary Journal
June 10, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Hubris" by David Fulton
Pollock was down to his last two Lucky Strikes
and no one was going out for more wine
and the last of Coleman Hawkins was fading
into a silence like static, like too much
coffee and trying to sleep.
It was day three and the artist
had the shakes. Maybe it was time for lunch.
Posted by The Editors at 12:50 PM in Literary Journal
June 05, 2009 | From TC 9:2 - "Confirmation" by Gale Acuff
In this issue of Lois Lane I rub
her blouse off with my eraser and she's
naked above the waist. I draw circles
for nipples and a couple of Us for
bosoms and she looks like a real woman
now, not that she wasn't before, even
though she's just a comic-book character.
But I'm thirteen and in the seventh grade
Posted by The Editors at 11:28 AM in Literary Journal
June 01, 2009 | Summer Reading from Toasted Cheese!
TC 9:2 features poetry by Gale Acuff, David Fulton & Adam Poltrack; flash fiction by Michael Zapata & Andrew H. Minnick and fiction by Louis M. Abbey, Caroline England, Kimberley Idol, Walter Kraut, Andrew Rivas, Paul Silverman & Ron Arnold.
Also look for Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Nathaniel Tower, Brian Behr Valentine & Amanda Divine.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Aaron M. Wilder.
Congratulations to all!
Posted by The Editors at 10:46 PM in Literary Journal
May 28, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Carpe Diem" by Theryn Fleming
Last month, after the editors finalized their selections for the March issue and the notifications were sent out, we received word that one of our authors had died in December. This was sad news for us, as Homer had submitted to us several times over the past four or five years, and while we hadn't published everything he sent us, we had always been entertained by his work. We are sorry that "Buzzards in the Projection Booth" is the last story we will see from him.
My first thought after I'd had time for the news to absorb was that I was sorry that he hadn't got his acceptance before he died. Almost as quickly came a second thought: but isn't it great that he went out the way every writer presumably wants to—writing and submitting until the very end?
Posted by The Editors at 12:13 PM in Literary Journal
May 23, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Iraq" by Matthew David Curtis
Creased hands blocking sun,
the old men watch as we ride
down the Phlegethon.
Posted by The Editors at 01:05 PM in Literary Journal
May 18, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Bridging Christmas" by Kristi Petersen Schoonover
My eight-year-old sister Kelly says that Santa doesn't come to Salisbury.
"That's ridiculous," I say. The latest in a string of ridiculous things in this nowhere village. Like the football team only plays against itself and I have to be up making breakfast at 5:30, because our school's an hour away and the bus, according to the guys, takes even longer in the winter on account of the plow attached to its grill. "Santa goes everywhere."
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm eighteen."
"You're wrong, Graham. He doesn't come here," she insists. "Ask your nickelback friends."
Posted by The Editors at 01:12 PM in Literary Journal
May 13, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Merry and Monroe" by Shannon Schuren
She keeps it hidden in a box under the bed.
She only keeps the bed—the same uncomfortable one she's slept on since childhood—because it is high enough to house the box, which fits snugly beneath the tarnished frame, which holds the coiled springs, which lie beneath the torn mattress, all of it covered by the quilt hand-sewn by her grandmother.
She takes comfort in these layers. They are all that muffle the voice when it calls. Teasing, pleading, wounding. She tries to ignore it, has faced the sofa in the opposite direction so she doesn't have to look at it. Still, the loft is sparsely furnished. It is easily heard or seen from anywhere in the apartment.
She used to worry that visitors would ask questions.
Luckily, no one has ever come.
Posted by The Editors at 05:20 PM in Literary Journal
May 08, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Ice Under the Bridge" by Ryan Peterson
It was a classic dare among children in the small town of Amethyst, Wisconsin—a rite of passage by which they tested the waters of urban legend each winter to see who was the bravest. Most of all, it was for the thrill of a good scare.
Press your ear to the ice under Blood River Bridge. If you listen closely, you can still hear them trying to scream as the freezing water rushes into their lungs. You can still hear their tiny fists pounding on the bottom of the ice, and their fingernails scratching at it. If you stare through the ice long enough, you might see their faces—black, dead eyes—gaping mouths. But don't freeze with fear…they might break through and pull you in with them, pull you all the way down to the bottom of the icy river, where it's pitch black forever.
Posted by The Editors at 12:26 PM in Literary Journal
May 06, 2009 | Congratulations to Amber Cook
Amber's story "Little Mother" will be featured in Best of the Web 2009 anthology. Congratulations!
Check out the complete list of authors, titles and journals (& pre-order your copy!) at Dzanc Books.
Posted by The Editors at 06:20 PM in Literary Journal
May 03, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Do Not Go Gentle" by Richard Wolkomir
(1)
"What'd your cat say?" Elroy asked.
No response.
They stood down there on the dock—the man, dog, and cat—staring up at his house, their skiff bobbing beside the dock where the lanky man just tied it. Elroy figured he must be a crabber from across the river in Old Cootchicalla. He had that sun-bleached look—unkempt yellow hair and mustache, both faded to straw.
Now the short-legged dog plopped down onto the dock, yawning in the Florida sunshine. Probably a Welsh corgi, Elroy thought, except its eyes seemed preternaturally bright. It gazed genially at Elroy. But the black cat and the crabber exchanged another long stare.
Elroy knew a conference when he saw one.
Posted by The Editors at 03:19 PM in Literary Journal
April 28, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Strike" by Casey Hill
We should go bowling sometime
when it's nice outside
and everyone's happy
feeling the grass
sway like an April kite
in the wind between their toes.
I love how they love springtime
and only springtime days
when the sun shines down on them
alone to keep them company.
Posted by The Editors at 10:04 AM in Literary Journal
April 23, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "The Oaten Hands" by Nathaniel Tower
His hands were made of oats.
It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't been a horse whisperer.
His hands were like that when he was born. No one really understood why. Neither of his parents had any body parts made of oats. Neither of them had even eaten any oats the morning the conception took place. But sure enough, when Edwin MacGrain was born on that windy November night, he slid out, covered in all the embryonic goo, with hands made out of thousands of sturdy oats, all clumped together in the exact shape of normal looking hands.
Posted by The Editors at 01:00 PM in Literary Journal
April 20, 2009 | Congratulations to Kate Gibalerio
Kate's story "Malicious Acts" is one of the storySouth Million Writers Award Notable Stories of 2008. Congratulations!
The top ten stories of the year will be released May 15th, with the public vote for the top story beginning then.
Check out the rest of the notable stories here.
Posted by The Editors at 06:33 PM in Community , Literary Journal
April 18, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "A Requiem for Javier" by Dave S. Shearer
Colin stood at the top of the bridge looking out over the bay in the moonlight. His dark hair flipped and fluttered and his jacket ripped loudly in the breeze. The bay stared back at him, a sea of living ink, churning and crawling in the night. Somewhere down below lay the body of his best friend Javier Ruiz. He had lain in a sunken grave for exactly one year to the day.
Colin stared at the water, watching the way the moonlight played off of the waves. He tried not to imagine the body of his friend beneath the water's darkness, but the images came anyway. He saw a skeleton covered in barnacles, crabs scurrying back and forth across fish-eaten bones. He forced himself to push the image away and after a moment he saw Javier again as he had been, dark eyes shining within his deep olive complexion, handsome and bold, an image of youth and vigor. Colin looked back at the water. "There are worse places to be buried," he supposed. "At least it's quiet…"
Posted by The Editors at 01:01 PM in Literary Journal
April 13, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Dead Cat" by Melanie Summers
She sets the cardboard box on the countertop right in front of you, her fingers still fondling the Chiquita Banana logo on the box. She looks exactly how you imagined a female trucker would look: five-foot-two, stout belly, greasy hair peeking out from under a black ski cap, and Roman numerals tattooed onto her knuckles. A metal chain swung from her wallet as she walked through the glass doors of Park Hill's Animal Hospital, hugging the cardboard box. It is her red nose, rubbed raw from the used Kleenexes stuffed in the pockets of her faded black jeans, that throws you off.
The counter separates the two of you like the Plexiglas wall in bad prison movie: prisoner, visitor; receptionist, client. You hand her a clipboard with the appropriate paperwork trapped under a plastic clip. The word Rimadyl is tagged across the clipboard along with most everything else in the office, pencil cup holders, staplers—all the latest freebies from Addison Pharmaceutical Company. The trucker takes the paperwork gently, as if the mere strength of her hand would shatter the hard plastic, but, then again, she may have just been tired. Her slow scribbling lulls you to sleep until the scent of stale piss and feces seeps through the cardboard box.
"His name is Andy."
Posted by The Editors at 12:19 PM in Literary Journal
April 08, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Already Gone" by A.M. Riley
Each day as I get ready for work, I look in the mirror, questioning the stranger, that guy shaving his three-day-old five o'clock shadow, who dares stare back at me with such a steady gaze. I hate him. Sickened by the shake in his hand, it's hard not to notice the liver spots and stray dark hairs that have begun to creep along his hands and arms, a quiet warning that time is against him. The razor left on the counter, a touch of water and blood still there, marks the beginning of the day.
The sound of pebbles crunching under the tires of the heavy Chevy Nova is the cue to grab my faded blue work jacket and get going. I can barely make out Jerry's face from the fog that surrounds him. The sweet smell of weed slaps me as I slide across the cold leather seat catching for a moment, as I do every morning, on the sharp edges where it is ripped and torn. I accept the joint, cradling it comfortably between my fingers. Jerry and I say five or six sentences during the twenty-minute ride. I thank him for dropping me off on his way to work. He nods and cranks up Zeppelin as he screeches bald tires across the newly paved parking lot.
Posted by The Editors at 02:29 PM in Literary Journal
April 03, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "The M.A.A.T." by John Riha
Good morning. The Moral Ambiguity Aptitude Test is designed to measure deviation from the national norm established by the landmark research of Dr. Richard Hancock and Dr. Yi Taguchi in 2006. The test will take approximately one hour, although some of you may finish in as little as five minutes. Be sure to read each question or statement thoroughly and complete the test in the allotted time. If possible, check your answers. There are no right or wrong answers, but some answers may be more significant than others. Good luck!
Posted by The Editors at 11:54 PM in Literary Journal
March 29, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Buzzards in the Projection Booth" by H.H. Morris
Tornado, population 937, the largest town in Walnut County, Missouri, was abuzz this Monday with theories about Gil Corbin's weekend disappearance. Corbin taught math at Walnut County Consolidated High School, located on the eastern edge of Tornado. The most prevalent rumor said he'd run from or been caught by a father, husband, brother, uncle, or male cousin of one of the many girls who'd passed algebra or geometry only because she scheduled unclad tutoring from her teacher. Other gossip suggested that one of Corbin's failed business adventures had him leaving town with only a short lead over bankruptcy judges and creditors.
Jon Staggers avoided adding his own theories to the mix, choosing instead to listen over lunch at Janet's Highway Café—one of several businesses in which his grandfather had left him a silent interest. If no one was around, Janet didn't collect his check. Today he'd pay and consider a greasy cheeseburger and fries an investment in more than cholesterol. He'd inherited the weekly Tornado Independent, Walnut County's only surviving newspaper, from his father almost five years ago, and as publisher and editor-in-chief he had to figure out what to write about Corbin's unexcused absence from work and family life. He couldn't say what he thought—that based on what he'd experienced and observed while a student in high school, Corbin's disappearance improved the educational environment.
Posted by The Editors at 03:43 PM in Literary Journal
March 25, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Schadenfreude" by Clare Hughes
Schadenfreude: Scha.den.freu.de. From the German, meaning to take malicious joy out of the suffering of other people.
She studies her feet and for the first time Mr Supergenius there finally notices she's missing a shoe. Her eyes are red and there are bruises up and down her arms. She can't be more than eight years old.
He looks at this little girl, so wide-eyed and vulnerable. The poster girl for charity cases. And God knows the streets are no place for a little kid, but she's got that wide-eyed vulnerability that tourists open their wallets for and, this is how screwed up this guy is, for a minute he almost wishes he was that little girl.
Posted by The Editors at 01:30 PM in Literary Journal
March 21, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Existentialism at the God Rodeo" by Diana Goble
Blood-coated Cheerios slid down the white porcelain like a slow-motion avalanche. I watched the red whirl into the water, creating a smoky tie-dye pattern. I didn't remember eating coffee grounds, but the former contents of my stomach seemed to suggest otherwise.
Posted by The Editors at 07:23 PM in Literary Journal
March 18, 2009 | Million Writers Award Nominations
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the storySouth 2009 Million Writers Award are:
"Malicious Acts" by Kate Gibalerio
"Fireglass" by Jacob Strunk
"Things Difficult to Say" by Alan Averill
Best of luck to you all!
Posted by The Editors at 11:23 AM in Literary Journal
March 17, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "Shadow" by Aaron M. Wilder
When he gets home from college it'll be that time of year. The Millers' old lab won't move from under the withered pines lining their property. They let him lie in the shade all day, bringing him kibbles in stainless steel trays. Wondering when the sun will cool so he can play like he did in spring.
Posted by The Editors at 01:06 PM in Literary Journal
March 13, 2009 | From TC 9:1 - "When a Porn Star Steals a Poet's Name" by Natasha Kochicheril Moni
The poet with her shirt
off, again, boils
water for hot cereal she will eat
in her bra. And apple. A pink lady,
she slices, blanches,
adds to the sugar
oats whose only redeemer
is the organic seal.
Maybe you wanted her
Posted by The Editors at 10:39 AM in Literary Journal
March 02, 2009 | March 2009 issue of Toasted Cheese!
TC 9:1 features poetry by Natasha Kochicheril Moni, Aaron M. Wilder & Casey Hill and fiction by Diana Goble, Clare Hughes, H.H. Morris, John Riha, A.M. Riley, Melanie Summers, Dave S. Shearer, Nathaniel Tower & Richard Wolkomir.
Also look for Dead of Winter Contest winning stories by Ryan Peterson, Shannon Schuren & Kristi Petersen Schoonover.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Matthew David Curtis.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 08:09 PM in Literary Journal
January 07, 2009 | Submission Reminder!
This is a reminder to read the Submission Guidelines prior to submitting.
In particular:
* submissions must be sent to SUBMIT@toasted-cheese.com not to any other address;
and
* submissions must include the word SUBMISSION in the subject line.
These two steps are necessary so that ALL of the editors receive your submission and so that your submission does not get lost (mistaken for spam).
Submissions that do not follow the guidelines are not read.
We want to read your submissions so please follow the guidelines! Thanks!
Posted by The Editors at 01:19 PM in Literary Journal
December 03, 2008 | Pushcart Prize Nominations
Toasted Cheese's 2008 nominations for the Pushcart Prize are:
Good luck to all the nominees!
Posted by The Editors at 03:39 PM in Literary Journal
December 02, 2008 | Toasted Cheese 8:4 is now up!
TC 8:4 features poetry by Jai Britton; flash fiction by Tai Dong Huai & Geraldine Walsh; fiction by Alan Averill, Farha Hasan, Peggy Newland, Michael B. Tager & Krystal Columna and creative non-fiction by Mary Evans Zbegner.
Also look for Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Scott Springer, Damon Shaw & Amanda Divine.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Niaz Khadem.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 10:37 PM in Literary Journal
December 01, 2008 | December issue...
...will be up tomorrow (Dec. 2nd). Our apologies for the delay.
Posted by The Editors at 11:15 PM in Literary Journal
September 10, 2008 | Best of the Web Nominations
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the Dzanc Books Best of the Web 2009 print anthology are:
Best of luck to all the nominees!
Posted by The Editors at 01:08 PM in Literary Journal
TC's nominations for the 2008 Best of the Net Anthology are:
Good luck to all the nominees!
Posted by The Editors at 01:07 PM in Literary Journal
September 01, 2008 | Toasted Cheese 8:3
TC 8:3 features poetry by C.P. Dotson; flash fiction by Merle Drown; fiction by Beth Labonte, Jacob Strunk & Amber Cook and creative non-fiction by Gretchen Clark & Byron J. Flitsch.
Also look for A Midsummer Tale Writing Contest winning stories by Dena Riggs Hein, Joe Kraus & Chelsea Heath.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Katelyn Kiley.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 01:48 PM in Literary Journal
August 20, 2008 | Anthologies!
Toasted Cheese Literary Journal nominates for the following awards/anthologies. If you're looking for something to read, do check them out!
The storySouth 2008 Million Writers Award for Fiction
Pushcart Prize XXXII: Best of the Small Presses
Posted by The Editors at 12:34 PM in Literary Journal
June 01, 2008 | TC 8:2 June 2008
TC 8:2 features poetry by Maggie Ethridge, Amber Norwood, Brittany Ober & Kathryn Jacobs; flash fiction by Kirsten Reinking & Liz Nazer; fiction by
Traci Chee, Hillary Elser, Kate Gibalerio, Tara Kenway, Gwen E. Kirby & Neil Weilheimer and creative non-fiction by Amanda Borozinski & Vivian Wagner.
Also look for Spring Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Melynda Sylvestre, Shannon Schuren & Beth Sawicki.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Vela Damon.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 11:55 PM in Literary Journal
March 24, 2008 | Million Writers Award
"The purpose of the Million Writers Award is to honor and promote the best fiction published in online literary journals and magazines during 2007."
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the storySouth 2008 Million Writers Award for Fiction are:
"The Path to Mental Health" by Brandy Langenwalter
"Jumping the Tracks" by Margo McCall
"The Year Michael Got His Own Page in the Yearbook" by Nick Seagers
Congratulations and good luck with the competition!
Posted by The Editors at 02:56 PM in Literary Journal
March 01, 2008 | March issue of Toasted Cheese
TC 8:1 features flash fiction by Charles D. Phillips, Wayne Scheer, Janice D. Soderling & Meg Pokrass; fiction by Karen Carlson, Jessica Smartt Gullion, Howard Waldman & Sarah Yost and creative non-fiction by Arwen Dewey & Erin M. Pushman.
Also look for Dead of Winter Writing Contest winning stories by Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Robert T. Knight, Fay Bouman & Tara McDaniel.
This issue's Best of the Boards winner is Steve Krause.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 09:53 PM in Literary Journal
January 08, 2008 | Submissions
Just a reminder for those submitting to the literary journal: we never open attachments. Please include your submission in the body of your email, as per the submission guidelines.
Also, if you are re-submitting after receiving a notification, please do not send your new submission to the editor who sent you the notification. All submissions must be sent to submit -at- toasted-cheese -dot- com. This ensures that all the editors receive your submissions.
Finally, please make sure that your subject line includes the word Submission, along with the genre of your submission. We receive hundreds of spam messages each day and this allows us to easily sort the real submissions from the spam.
Thank you.
Posted by The Editors at 01:57 PM in Literary Journal
December 01, 2007 | December issue of Toasted Cheese
TC 7:4 features poetry by Linda King, Candy Shue & Liz Dolan; flash fiction by Aubrey Rose Murrin; fiction by Heather MacPherson, Mike Malloy, Rich Seeber, Brandi Wells & Devin P. Bates and creative non-fiction by Kim Morris & Francine Marie Tolf.
Also look for Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Liz Mierzejewski, Jessica Colomb & Laura Magalas.
This issue's "Best of the Boards" winner is Jennifer Justice.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 12:43 PM in Literary Journal
November 01, 2007 | 2007 Dead of Winter Writing Contest Now Open!
The 7th Annual Dead of Winter Writing Contest is now open.
Dead of Winter is a fiction contest (any genre) for stories with supernatural elements or themes. This year's theme is: Urban Legend.
Deadline for entries is December 21, 2007.
Posted by The Editors at 12:45 AM in Literary Journal
October 04, 2007 | Submission Tips
Send your submissions to our submissions address (submit -at- toasted-cheese -dot- com). Submissions sent to other addresses (at least the ones that we catch!) will be asked to re-submit to the correct address.
Put the word submission (not submit) in your subject line followed by the genre of your submission (fiction, flash, cnf, poetry). Avoid putting anything else in your subject line (e.g. the title of your submission) because that increases the likelihood that your submission will be caught by a spam filter.
We look forward to reading your work!
Posted by The Editors at 04:15 PM in Literary Journal
September 11, 2007 | "Best of the Web" Nominations
Beginning in 2008, Dzanc Books will publish a Best of the Web anthology each spring. "This print anthology will be the first serious attempt to represent in book form the best literary writing online magazines have to offer."
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the Best of the Web 2007 anthology (for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry published in 2007) are:
"Thirty-two Suns" by Rebecca Nazar.
"Pas de Deux" by Claire Rudy Foster.
"This Teacher Talks Too Damn Fast" by Megan Stielstra.
Posted by The Editors at 02:20 PM in Literary Journal
September 02, 2007 | The September issue of TC is here!
TC 7:3 features poetry by Kristine Ong Muslim & C.C. Thomas; fiction by Brandy Langenwalter, Margo McCall, Michael G. McLaughlin, Matthew Purdy & Farha Hasan; and creative non-fiction by Lindsay Tang.
Also look for A Midsummer Tale Writing Contest winning stories by Dena Riggs Hein, Mary Wuerth & Jinevrah Aljín.
This issue's "Best of the Boards" winner is Liz Mierzejewski.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 12:32 AM in Literary Journal
August 02, 2007 | Best of the Net Nominations
The Best of the Net Anthology, published by Sundress Publications, "strives to promote the diverse and growing collection of voices that are choosing to publish their work online, a venue that still sees little respect from such yearly anthologies as the Pushcart and "Best American" series. This collection will hopefully help to bring more respect to this innovative and continually expanding medium."
TC's nominations for the 2007 Best of the Net Anthology (for poetry and fiction published online between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007) are:
Posted by The Editors at 03:52 PM in Literary Journal
June 01, 2007 | Toasted Cheese 7:2 is now online.
TC 7:2 features poetry by David Michael Wolach, Teresa McLamb Blackmon & J.R. Salling; flash fiction by Claire Rudy Foster & Danielle Vermette; fiction by Nick Seagers & Michele M. Feeney; and creative non-fiction by Megan Stielstra & Jacoba Mendelkow.
Also look for Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Jennifer Ruddock, Laura Magalas & Christopher Glenman.
This issue's "Best of the Boards" winner is Alan Walkington.
Congratulations to everyone. Happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 03:41 PM in Literary Journal
May 09, 2007 | Congratulations to Gina Sakalarios-Rogers
Gina's story, "Pillaged," has been selected as one of the Notable Stories of 2006 in the Million Writers Award competition. Congratulations!
The top ten stories will be announced May 23, 2007. Voting on the top story of the year will begin May 23, 2007, and will end June 23, 2007.
Check out the rest of the notable stories here.
Posted by The Editors at 10:15 PM in Literary Journal
April 07, 2007 | Million Writers Award Nominations
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the 2007 storySouth Million Writers Award are:
"Desert Creatures" by Anna Evans
"Pillaged" by Gina Sakalarios-Rogers
"Roller Coaster" by Terri Moran
The Million Writers Award honors and promotes the best fiction published in online literary journals and magazines. Last year, TC was delighted to have "Cravings" by Trish O'Brien-Edwards, published in Toasted Cheese 5:3, selected as one of the Million Writers Award Notable Stories of 2005.
Readers can nominate their favorite stories too! Anyone can nominate one story. You have until April 15 to make a nomination.
Best of luck to all the nominees and thank you for contributing to Toasted Cheese.
Posted by The Editors at 01:07 PM in Literary Journal
March 30, 2007 | Tips for Email Submissions
TC responds to submissions in a timely fashion. If you do not receive notification of your submission's status as outlined in our submission guidelines, then either (a) we never received your submission or (b) our response was eaten by your spam filter.
Here are some tips to ensure you receive responses to your submissions:
1. Get a web account to use solely for your submissions. If you're not using it for anything else, you shouldn't get too much spam, therefore it's less likely that you'll miss out on real mail that ends up in your spam/junk folder.
2. Avoid using AOL (AOL blocks a lot of stuff as spam that isn't). Avoid using a work account (work email systems generally have serious spam filters that you have no control over).
3. Set up filters/message rules in your email to flag messages based on keywords (like SUBMISSION) that you use in the subject lines of your submissions.
4. Check your junk/spam folders on a regular basis.
5. For submissions to TC, add beaver at toasted-cheese dot com (substituting @ for at and . for dot, of course) to your address book/safe list.
6. If you think you should have received a response and haven't, you can always post at the forums and ask. Damage from Hail is open for non-members to post.
Finally, if the issue you submitted for has gone up and your work is not in it, then you can assume your submission has been rejected. We don't hold over submissions.
* March issue: selected from submissions received October 1 – December 31
* June issue: selected from submissions received January 1 - March 31
* September issue: selected from submissions received April 1 - June 30
* December issue: selected from submissions received July 1 - September 30
Posted by The Editors at 01:27 PM in Literary Journal
March 19, 2007 | Submissions March 14 - 18
Due to an issue with an overzealous spam filter, we did not receive much mail between the afternoon of March 14th and the morning of March 18th. If you submitted during this time period, please resend your submission.
Posted by The Editors at 12:14 AM in Literary Journal
March 01, 2007 | Toasted Cheese 7:1
Toasted Cheese 7:1 is now online.
TC 7:1 features poetry by Lyndsey Aho, flash fiction by Rebecca Nazar, fiction by Margot Miller & Charity Tran and creative non-fiction by Linda C. Wisniewski.
Also look for Dead of Winter Writing Contest winning stories by Lark Lucente, Kristi Petersen & Laura Magalas.
This issue's "Best of the Boards" winner is Emma Steinfeld.
Congratulations to all and happy reading! As always, we encourage you to let the authors know if you enjoy their work--you'll make their day!
Posted by The Editors at 10:06 PM in Literary Journal
December 01, 2006 | Pushcart Prize Nominees
Toasted Cheese's nominations for the Pushcart Prize are:
Best of luck to all the nominees.
Posted by The Editors at 10:37 PM in Literary Journal
The December issue of Toasted Cheese is here!
Toasted Cheese 6:4 is now online.
Thank you to all who submitted and congratulations to this issue's authors.
As always, we encourage you to contact authors of work you enjoy and let them know--you'll make their day!
Reminder! Our deadlines have changed. The deadline for submissions for the March 2007 issue of Toasted Cheese is December 31, 2006. Submissions received in January will be considered for the June issue.
Posted by The Editors at 10:28 PM in Literary Journal
TC 6:4 features poetry by Diane Tucker, flash fiction by H. Lovelyn Bettison, fiction by D.R. Bertholdt, Robert Ewing & Terri Moran and creative non-fiction by Angela Marie Graziano.
Also look for Three Cheers and a Tiger Writing Contest winning stories by Liz Mierzejewski, Cynthia Wilfert & Behr Valentine.
This issue's "Best of the Boards" winner is Alan Walkington.
Congratulations to all and happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 08:07 PM in Literary Journal
September 22, 2006 | Change to Submission Periods
Starting with Toasted Cheese 7:1 (March 2007), submission periods will close one month earlier than they do at present, i.e. two months prior to the publication date. This change will allow us to read submissions one month earlier and give us some much-needed extra time to set up each issue.
The switch will be effective November 1, 2006. Submissions received to October 31, 2006 will be eligible for TC 6:4 (December 2006); submissions received from November 1 to December 31, 2006* will be eligible for TC 7:1 (March 2007).
We will continue to short-list at the end of each month. Final notifications will be sent one month prior to publication. Full details here.
(*The shortened submission period will be for this one issue only, as we make the transition.)
Posted by The Editors at 02:10 PM in Literary Journal
September 01, 2006 | The September issue of TC is up!
Toasted Cheese 6:3 is now online.
Thank you to all who submitted and congratulations to this issue's authors.
As always, we encourage you to contact authors of work you enjoy and let them know--you'll make their day!
Once again, a reminder that all regular submissions published this year are eligible for nomination for the Pushcart Prize. We will also be nominating for the storySouth Million Writers Award again in 2007.
Posted by The Editors at 11:59 AM in Literary Journal
August 01, 2006 | A Midsummer Tale Contest Winners
Toasted Cheese is pleased to announce the winners of the 2006 A Midsummer Tale Writing Contest:
1st: Debby Katz, "Dreams from the Dust Bowl"
2nd: Sheela Jaywant, "Annual Ritual; then Alone Again"
3rd: David Scott, "Theorem"
Thanks to all who entered. You can read the winning stories in the September issue of Toasted Cheese.
The 2007 A Midsummer Tale Writing Contest opens May 1, 2007. Toasted Cheese's next contest is Three Cheers and a Tiger in September. Details on all our contests can be found here. Submissions to TC are welcome year-round.
Posted by The Editors at 12:37 AM in Literary Journal
June 01, 2006 | New Issue of Toasted Cheese!
Toasted Cheese 6:2 is now online.
Thank you to all who submitted and congratulations to this issue's authors. A reminder that all regular submissions published this year are eligible for nomination for the Pushcart Prize. We will also be nominating for the StorySouth Million Writers Award again in 2007.
As always, if you particularly enjoy a piece of writing, we encourage you to take the time to tell the author.
Posted by The Editors at 11:59 PM in Literary Journal
April 02, 2006 | Million Writers Award Top Ten Stories of 2005
The Million Writers Award top ten online short stories of 2005 have now been selected and voting on the top story of the year has begun. Voting will run through the end of the day on April 30, 2006.
Posted by The Editors at 01:26 PM in Literary Journal
March 14, 2006 | Congratulations to Trish O'Brien-Edwards
Trish's story "Cravings" has been selected as one of the Notable Short Stories of 2005 in the Million Writers Award competition.
Congratulations, Trish!
"The top ten stories of the year will be released on April 1, with the public vote for the top story also beginning then."
Posted by The Editors at 09:27 PM in Literary Journal
March 01, 2006 | March issue of Toasted Cheese
Issue 6:1 (wow!) of Toasted Cheese is online.
Congratulations to this issue's authors. Once again, we really appreciate the thank you notes. Thank you! (Check out our new kudos page.)
This year, for the first time, Toasted Cheese will be nominating for the Pushcart Prize. Only nine months to wait until nominations are announced ;-) Stay tuned.
Readers: If you like a story or poem, don't forget to let the author know!
Posted by The Editors at 11:59 PM in Literary Journal
February 20, 2006 | 2006 Million Writers Award for Fiction
Nominations for the storySouth 2006 Million Writers Award for Fiction are being accepted until March 1.
"The purpose of the Million Writers Award is to honor and promote the best fiction published in online literary journals and magazines during 2005." Stories must be at least 1000 words to be eligible.
Readers may each nominate one story (Rules). Vote for your favorite story here.
Toasted Cheese's editor nominations are:
"Musee Mecanique" by Terri Brown-Davidson
"Refuge" by Anna Evans
"Cravings" by Trish O'Brien-Edwards
Posted by The Editors at 04:37 PM in Literary Journal
January 18, 2006 | No Autoreply?
If you've submitted to the literary journal and haven't received an autoreply, don't panic!
It is extremely rare for us to have not received a submission. 99% of the time, the autoreply has been caught by your spam filter. (To avoid this happening, add submit [at] toasted-cheese.com to your safelist before submitting.)
We might not have received your submission if a) you sent to the wrong address or b) your subject line has a typo in it (e.g. submisssion). If you are sure that neither of these things apply to you, then there is no need to resend your submission.
We know it's tempting, but please try to hold off inquiring as to whether we've received your submission. It defeats the purpose of having an autoreply when we have to answer numerous "I didn't get an autoreply. Did you get my submission?" inquiries.
If we have received your submission, you will hear from us within approximately one month (when we short-list). If you have not heard from us by the 15th of the month following when you submitted, then you can assume we didn't receive your submission and you are welcome to resend it.
Posted by The Editors at 05:20 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
December 02, 2005 | Reminder / Request
For all writers who are re-submitting after receiving a notification letter:
Please send your new submission to submit at toasted-cheese.com -- just as you did for your first submission.
In other words, don't just hit "reply" on the notification letter you received. If you do that, only the editor who sent out the letters will get your new submission. Remember, we edit as a collective; all the editors need to see your submission, not just the one who handled the correspondence.
Thank you!
Posted by The Editors at 11:48 AM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
December 01, 2005 | December issue of TC!
The December issue of Toasted Cheese is now online.
Thank you to all who submitted; we enjoyed reading your submissions. Special thanks to all of you who sent thank you notes--we really appreciate those.
Remember, writers live for compliments. If you particularly enjoy a story or poem, please take a moment to tell the writer. It's the best present you can give a writer, and it's absolutely free!
A big thank you from us to all of our readers and writers for your support this year. Happy holidays!
Posted by The Editors at 06:03 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
September 01, 2005 | September issue of Toasted Cheese
Issue 5:3 of Toasted Cheese is now online.
Please do take a moment to pass on your appreciation to the writers when you read something you like. They'll love you for it!
Posted by The Editors at 06:21 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
June 01, 2005 | June Issue of Toasted Cheese
The June issue of Toasted Cheese is now online.
Special thanks to everyone who sent us an acknowledgment in response to the notification letters. We really appreciate it!
Congratulations to all the writers who appear in this issue and happy reading!
Posted by The Editors at 08:56 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
March 10, 2005 | Submissions Update
Starting with the current submission period, we've instituted a "rounds" system of vetting submissions.
Each month, two of the editors will look over the subs that have come in. At the end of this preliminary round, we'll send out notifications to all who have submitted during that month. The notification will tell you one of three things:
Final decisions will be sent out as per usual during the week prior to the new issue going up.
We've instituted this new system to reduce our workload during our reading periods, but we hope that writers will find the earlier notifications of benefit as well. The first round of preliminary notifications went out last week.
Speaking of which... one writer withdrew a submission after receiving his preliminary notification because the story had been accepted elsewhere. He asked if he would be penalized for doing so, noting that he submitted prior to our change in policy re simultaneous submissions. The answer is no. Only submissions from March 1st onward are subject to the new policy.
Posted by The Editors at 03:22 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
March 01, 2005 | Simultaneous Submissions - Policy Change
Toasted Cheese has changed its policy with respect to simultaneous submissions.
As of March 1st, 2005, TC no longer accepts simultaneous submissions.
For more about the reasons behind this change, read Beaver's editorial.
Posted by The Editors at 08:23 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
The March issue of Toasted Cheese is now online, featuring some new and some returning authors.
If you particularly enjoy a story or poem, please take a moment to tell the author either via email or at the forums. Thank you!
Posted by The Editors at 08:18 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
January 13, 2005 | TC Welcomes New Editors
We are pleased to announce that long time forum hosts Ana George, Rhia Perkins (KittleKatt), and Steve Simpson (Macfisto) have joined the literary journal editorial staff. They will join the existing editors in reviewing submissions starting with TC 5:1.
Posted by The Editors at 01:30 AM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
December 08, 2004 | Note for AOL users
If you submit from an AOL email address, you might not receive a confirmation email from us. AOL is currently bouncing emails from Toasted Cheese.
We have no problem receiving emails from AOL addresses.
Be aware that when the time comes to notify you of your submission's status, we may need to send your notification to you from an alternate address (i.e. not a toasted-cheese.com address), to ensure you receive it.
Posted by The Editors at 02:44 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
December 01, 2004 | TC Issue 4:4
The December issue of Toasted Cheese is now up for your reading pleasure. Congratulations to all the authors, and thanks to all who submitted. We are now taking submissions for the March 2005 issue.
If you particularly enjoy reading a story or poem, e-mail the author or post at the forums and let them know. It'll only take a moment, and it'll be the best present they receive this year, guaranteed!
Posted by The Editors at 03:39 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
September 01, 2004 | September Ezine
The September issue of Toasted Cheese is up and it's a big one. Congratulations to this issue's authors, and our thanks to all who submitted.
If you enjoy reading something in this issue, please take a moment and leave a comment for the author. Thanks!
Posted by The Editors at 02:21 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
August 01, 2004 | A Midsummer Tale Contest Winners
The winners of the 2004 A Midsummer Tale Contest are:
1st – Every Single Thing Matters by Loretta Mestishen
2nd – On: Frozen Foods, Fresh Produce and Young Love by Katherine Vondy
3rd – R.A. by Richard C. Harrison
Honorable Mentions go to Sandra Coker for Roadhouse Soda and Laurie Seidler for The Change.
Congratulations to all of you. Look for the winning stories in the September issue of Toasted Cheese.
Posted by The Editors at 02:58 AM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
Toasted Cheese Literary Journal has been assigned International Standard Serial Number 1551-4064.
Posted by The Editors at 03:11 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (1)
Best of the Boards winners are published in the Literary Journal.
If you'd like to participate in Best of the Boards, read the rules, then be sure to check out the new exercise at A Pen in Each Hand.
When you're done, don't forget to post your work at the forums!
Posted by The Editors at 03:01 PM in Community , Literary Journal | Comments (0)
Just a note to acknowledge all the writers who sent thank yous when they found out they'd be published in the latest issue of Toasted Cheese. Thanks for taking the time to write; we appreciate it!
Posted by The Editors at 06:45 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)
June 01, 2004 | June issue of Toasted Cheese
Whew! The June issue of Toasted Cheese is now online. Many thanks to all who submitted; you made our selection process a challenge this time. Beaver is off to take a nap now...
Posted by The Editors at 04:01 PM in Literary Journal | Comments (0)