Founded in 2002 as an online literary journal, Tarpaulin Sky took the form of 12.5 internet issues (see the archive) before its first paper edition in November 2007, and the magazine continues to publish new work both online and in print.

Tarpaulin Sky focuses on cross-genre / trans-genre / hybrid forms as well as innovative poetry and prose. The journal is not allied with any one style or school or network of writers; rather, we try to avoid some of the defects associated with dipping too often into the same literary gene pool, and the diversity of our contributors is evidence of our eclectic interests—eg., Juliana Spahr, Brian Evenson, Chris Abani, John Yau, Matthea Harvey, Dodie Bellamy, Brian Henry, Brenda Iijima, Douglas A. Martin, Laird Hunt, Eleni Sikelianos, Bin Ramke, Ethan Paquin, Michelle Naka Pierce, Renee Gladman, et al. Several of our contributors were first published in our magazine; many had published only a few times before; and other Tarpaulin Sky contributors have published numerous books and received numerous awards (the Glatstein Award, Fence Books Alberta Prize, Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship, Slope Editions Book Prize, Sawtooth Poetry Prize, National Poetry Series, Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, Whiting Award, Iowa Poetry Prize) along with grants and fellowships from the likes of NYFA, the MacDowell Colony, the Camargo Foundation, the Karolyi Foundation, and the NEA.

Outside of the timetable of magazine issues, tarpaulinsky.com also posts reviews of small press books, and we pay reviewers in the form of free trade paperbacks from Tarpaulin Sky Press (please see our guidelines page for details). We are particularly interested in books published by our journal's contributors, or books published by the presses that publish our contributors, or books published by the presses run by our contributors, etc--as we hope to multiply and widen the concentric circles rippling around the work of some of our favorite writers

The Press

Tarpaulin Sky Press was founded in 2006 with the intent of bringing out new books by contributors to Tarpaulin Sky Literary Journal. Now, via open reading periods, we are also publishing books by writers who are new to us. Like the journal, the press focuses on cross-genre / trans-genre / hybrid forms as well as innovative poetry and prose.

We are an author-centered press endeavoring to create books that, as objects, please our authors as much their texts please us. We produce both trade paperbacks and handbound books. Most of our handbound books are chapbooks, but some are full-length, and some are even hardcovers. When time and resources allow, we create perfectbound and handbound editions of full-length books.

Tarpaulin Sky Press trade paperback titles include the genre-bending book of prose poetry/lyric essays by Jenny Boully, [one love affair]*; the debut poetry collection of Croatia-born Ana Božičević, Stars of the Night Commute; of the first full-length collection of fiction by Danielle Dutton, Attempts at a Life; a collaborative book of poetry by Noah Eli Gordon and Joshua Marie Wilkinson, with images by Noah Saterstrom, Figures for a Darkroom Voice; perhaps the most disturbing collection of poetry ever written, Gordon Massman's The Essential Numbers 1991 - 2008; the first full-length work of fiction by poet Joyelle McSweeney, Nylund, the Sarcographer; the first full-length collection of poems by Max Winter, The Pictures; and the gorgeous sadness that is the debut novella/photo essay from Andrew Zornoza, Where I Stay. Our chapbooks include prose-poetry and verse by Sandy Florian, Paul McCormick, Andrew Michael Roberts, Brandon Shimoda, Chad Sweeney, and G.C. Waldrep.

A list of forthcoming authors and titles may be foun on our authors page.

Events / Readings

In 2005, Tarpaulin Sky began hosting readings in NYC, in conjunction with the venerable Frequency Series and the incomparable Burning Chair. Tarpaulin Sky readings are now branching out of NYC and into cities and states all around the US. Please check our Tarpaulin Sky Readings & Events page for updates.

We offer an extensive list of links to other presses and literary journals online and print. Some are publishing very different work than we publish, and may be good venues for writers whose work is not suited to Tarpaulin Sky.

Please see our guidelines page for details regarding submissions of poetry, prose, hybrid forms, etc, as well as submissions of reviews and review copies.

Tarpaulin Sky Press & Tarpaulin Sky Literary Journal offer a limited number of unpaid internships for the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Interested students should introduce themselves to the editors via an email to editors[AT]tarpaulinsky[DOT]com  (In order to avoid the spam filters, please be sure to include "Attn: Editors" in the subject line). Applicants are expected to possess excellent computer, Internet, and English language skills as well as a sincere desire to be a part of the writing and publishing community.

If you would like to receive emails announcing the publication of new issues or books, please write "subscribe" in the subject line of a blank email to readers[AT]tarpaulinsky[DOT]com

Tarpaulin Sky recommends the services of GenPop Books.

Questions/Comments:

We welcome your questions and comments.

Email editors[AT]tarpaulinsky[DOT]com (In order to avoid the spam filters, please be sure to include "Attn: Editors" in the subject line).

Thank you for your interest in Tarpaulin Sky Press!