Peer inside an abalone shell and you will discover it to be composed not of one color, but rather of many colors, brilliantly iridescent. Here at Abalone Ink, we see culture as the color of our increasingly global world. Culture paints our views and shapes us, and exposure to other cultures expands our perspectives, adding new dashes of color. Abalone Ink hopes to become the abalone shell of literary magazines, a literary magazine that both explores the ways in which culture influences the way we see the world through examples of art, as well as a magazine that brings more culture perspective to the literary world.
We believe that one of the key ways of achieving a more global perspective is through translation. Translation initiates a multilayered conversation between writer and translator, translator and reader. When done well, this conversation introduces readers not only to magnificent works that might otherwise have gone unknown to them, but also bridges language and culture to give readers a glimpse into different cultural and individual perspectives, creating connections that span language barriers. As such, Abalone Ink makes it a goal to bring more works in translation to English readers in the hopes of generating more of these conversations.
Yet our cultural exchange is in no way limited to works in translation. We welcome original English-language works that demonstrate thought-provoking explorations of culture. We leave it to the writer’s discretion to interrupt what meets this description in the hopes of expanding how people think of culture.
While our main goal is to create a diverse and culturally-rich reading and viewing experience, we also value literary works that present these conversations through sharply crafted writing. Submission of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to Abalone Ink should yield something interesting even after multiple reads, offering the reader elements such as vivid imagery, precise language, smart dialogue, and originality that will leave an impact. In addition to stirring up conversation in the cultural scene, we hope to make a splash in the literary culture, too.
We also highly encourage submissions of visual art as long as that art promotes cultural exchange and discussion. Since our magazine hopes to introduce fresh and provoking perspectives on culture, we likewise desire to see how artists interrupt and convey culture in different ways. Therefore, we welcome all kinds of visual art (including comics).
We believe that one of the key ways of achieving a more global perspective is through translation. Translation initiates a multilayered conversation between writer and translator, translator and reader. When done well, this conversation introduces readers not only to magnificent works that might otherwise have gone unknown to them, but also bridges language and culture to give readers a glimpse into different cultural and individual perspectives, creating connections that span language barriers. As such, Abalone Ink makes it a goal to bring more works in translation to English readers in the hopes of generating more of these conversations.
Yet our cultural exchange is in no way limited to works in translation. We welcome original English-language works that demonstrate thought-provoking explorations of culture. We leave it to the writer’s discretion to interrupt what meets this description in the hopes of expanding how people think of culture.
While our main goal is to create a diverse and culturally-rich reading and viewing experience, we also value literary works that present these conversations through sharply crafted writing. Submission of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to Abalone Ink should yield something interesting even after multiple reads, offering the reader elements such as vivid imagery, precise language, smart dialogue, and originality that will leave an impact. In addition to stirring up conversation in the cultural scene, we hope to make a splash in the literary culture, too.
We also highly encourage submissions of visual art as long as that art promotes cultural exchange and discussion. Since our magazine hopes to introduce fresh and provoking perspectives on culture, we likewise desire to see how artists interrupt and convey culture in different ways. Therefore, we welcome all kinds of visual art (including comics).