Museum as Muse
Ends on
Museum as Muse
An Arkansas International Special Feature with the University of Arkansas Museum
Have you ever looked at an artifact in a museum and wondered about its story, or even began inventing the story yourself? Who used that 1930s embalming kit containing artery-hardening liquid and a shaving kit, or what happened to Mrs. Moore the day she wore her clay-colored suit made from hand-woven cloth that she hoped would help restart the loom industry? Whose windows rattled in Fayetteville as they watched this black meteorite fall to Earth? Which item would ignite your imagination?
This fall the Arkansas International will collaborate with the University of Arkansas Museum to publish a special online feature highlighting writing inspired by any of the millions of artifacts in the museum’s archives. We are delighted for writers to have this opportunity to explore and find inspiration from items in the collection to create new work.
Writers are invited to access the museum’s collections via this online portal featuring over 150 highlights selected by museum staff, and to browse the museum’s broader database for additional inspiration. Submissions may be poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or comics. Translated work, flash fiction, and shorter fiction also welcome. Selected pieces will be published by the Arkansas International in a special online feature in the spring of 2027.
What to Submit
- Prose submissions should be no more than 8,000 words. Flash fiction and shorter fiction are also welcome.
- Poetry submissions should include all poems in a single document.
- Please do not submit more than a single submission until you have heard back from us about your previous submission.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, provided we are notified in the event that a piece is accepted elsewhere.
- We only accept previously unpublished work and will not publish any work that utilizes AI in any stage of creation.
Cover Letter Formatting
Include a brief cover letter with your submission that includes the following information:
- The title(s) and genre of the piece(s) you are sending
- The title and identifier number of the University of Arkansas Museum artifact which inspired the piece(s)
- Your contact information
- A brief bio (<100 words)
- Notice if applicable, of simultaneous submission
- Notice if you're a past contributor
When to Submit and Fee Info
Submissions are open October 1st through November 30th. While we no longer offer free submissions, we are happy to provide fee waivers to those identifying as BIPOC or in need of financial assistance. For information on how to apply for a fee waiver, please email editor@arkint.org. To get a sense of what we publish, read previous issues on our website.
Payment
All contributors will be paid a flat fee of $50 per accepted piece, and will also receive a one-year digital subscription.