The Common

Stories, poems, essays & images
thecommononline.org

"Finding the extraordinary in the common has long been the mission of literature. Inspired by this mission and the role of the town common, a public gathering place for the display and exchange of ideas, The Common seeks to recapture an old idea. The Common publishes fiction, essays, poetry, and images that embody particular times and places both real and imagined; from deserts to teeming ports; from Winnipeg to Beijing; from Earth to the Moon: literature and art powerful enough to reach from there to here. In short, we seek a modern sense of place.

In our first four years we've published new work by writers such as Claire Messud, Lauren Groff, and Fiona Maazel, as well as Ted Conover, Philip Lopate, Mary Jo Salter, and Victoria Redel. Pieces from The Common have been selections and notable mentions in the Best American series, and we've been praised and mentioned in magazines such as The New Yorker, Boston Globe, The Millions, and the Chronicle of Higher Education."