Spittoon: An Independent Contemporary Literary E-zine
Circa 2011-2014

This was the website for the independent contemporary literary zine, Spittoon.
Content is from the site's 2011-2014 archived pages.

Spittoon is an independent contemporary literary zine dedicated to the publication of quality contemporary and experimental poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction. This online journal will feature work by poets and writers, both well known and up-and-coming. Our  only goal is to publish excellent work, so there are no form or content restrictions; however, we will never accept "cookie cutter" writers (you know who you are). We want original work that affects the reader in a physical and emotional way. To us, the form is as important as the content and they should both work together to develop the intended effect.

Each piece we publish will automatically be entered in  the yearly Best of Spittoon awards.

Fiction Editor: Matt VanderMeulen
Poetry Editor: Kristin Abraham
Creative Nonfiction Editor: Kristin Abraham

ISSUES

Spittoon 1.1: 

On the Map

September 2011

Featuring Dana Curtis, Molly Brodak, Nate Pritts, Kristi Maxwell, Sara Pritchard, Wayne Lee Thomas,  William Haas, Ryan Collins,  Kirsten Eve Beachy, RJ Ingram, Amanda McGuire,  William J Fedigan,  Rich Murphy, Kyle Hemmings, and Ann Stewart.Also featuring an interview with and work by Arpine Konyalian Grenier, author of the new book The Concession Stand: Exaptation at the Margins (Otoliths).  

 Cover art by Sara Pritchard, a map of her short story collection Lately. About the map, she writes:

 ...if you're writing a linked story collection, you need something like this to keep track of everything. It's amazing what you learn--like how if one character is related to another character or they've worked together or are friends or they live in the same city or they're from the same place, then they're both privy to so much common information--secrets, lies, expectations, dreams, relationships, bad habits, regrets, etc.--which causes them to act and respond in certain ways and say certain things, whether you want them to or not.  

 ISSN: 2166-0840

Spittoon 1.2: 

Seasonal Affective Disorder

 Cover Art by : Shot [painting with stitch]. 

Featuring Nancy Zafris, Mary Elizabeth Parker, Donald Illich, Meghan MacNamara, Gina Myers, F. Daniel Rzicznek, Nathan Hauke, Don Cellini, Faith S. Holsaert, William Henderson, Laura Madeline Wiseman, J. Michael Wahlgren, Corinne Lincoln-Pinheiro, Damien Kortum, Maureen Foley, Lenore R. Harris, Cal Freeman, Jennifer Clark, Lori D'Angelo, Rick Marlatt, Lori White, and Jessica Barksdale. Also featuring art by Morwenna Catt.

Spittoon 2.1: 

Every US 

March 2012
Cover art by Justin Fields. Every, US  (1029, 840), Mixed media on paper. Approx. 55” x 30”.
Featuring work by Danielle Pafunda, David Baratier, Jamie Grefe, Chelsey Clammer, Kristina Marie Darling, Tim Kahl, Jessica Guzman, Petur H.K.,  Nancy Devine, Nels Hanson, Michele Harmeling, Seth Berg, D. Harlan Wilson, DJ Swykert, Lilian Oben, Alexandra N. Kontes, Parker Tettleton, Peter Ferrarone, Matthew Lykins, Bryan Alan Ellis, and an interview with Sarah Paige Ryan, author of  Solar-Powered Sex Machine: A Memoir.  Also featuring art by Justin Fields.
 ISSN: 2166-0840

Spittoon 2.2: 

after

 June 2012
Cover art by Dimitri Castrique Ploegsteert. Murdered Doll. 3072 x 2304. Digital photograph.
Featuring work by Eric Baus, Jennifer H. Fortin, Joseph Celizic, Anne Germanacos, Francis Raven, Stephen J. West, Anne Kingsfield, Michael Sikkema, Brandi Homan, Marcia Arrieta, Patty Somlo, Vallie Lynn Watson, Farren Stanley, Ken Poyner, Shitsugane Olembo, Darren C. Demaree, and Nathaniel Tower. 

Spittoon 2.3:

Get back better on 

Cover art by Eleanor Leonne Bennett. Smoke. Digital photograph.

Featuring work by Lisa Zimmerman,Gregg Murray, Tiffany Morris, Will Cordeiro, Jewel Beth Davis, Jeremy Benson, Ethan Tinkler, Tendai Mwanaka, James Claffey, Trish Parsons, Tony Leuzzi, José Luis Gutiérrez, Stephen Thomas, Jeff Mark, and Brent House. Also featuring 16-year-old artist and photographer Eleanor Leonne Bennett.

ISSN: 2166-0840 

Spittoon 2.4:

Orange Pool 

Cover art by Martyn E.  Jones:  Orange Pool.  Digital photograph. 
Featuring work by Kristy Bowen, Matthew Lykins, Dan Pinkerton, Laura Madeline Wiseman, Brent Terry,  David Rawson, Josh Prichard, Stephanie Anderson, Daniel Beauregard, Ken Poyner, Changming Yuan, Amanda Cobb, Jenny Drai, Michael J. Wilson, Mark Parsons, Mark DeCarteret, Justin J. Brouckaert, and Sam Buckley.
  ISSN: 2166-0840

Spittoon 3.1:

Toujours  

March 2013
 Cover art by Otha "Vakseen" Davis  III . Veils of Carnality (40 x 30), Oil & Acrylic.
Featuring work by Brian Baumgart, Laura Kochman, Nicholas Grider, Jess Stickler, Kirk Pinho, Chad Parmenter, Kenneth E. Harrison, Jr., Lisbeth Davidow, Kelly Lynn Thomas, and Erica W. Jamieson.  Special section featuring art by Otha "Vakseen" Davis III.
 ISSN: 2166-0840

Spittoon 3.2:

Woman with Papa

June 2013
Cover art by Dr. Ernest Williamson III. "After The Ballet." Mixed media (acrylic, ink) on paper. 20 x 40" .
Featuring a special collection of short-shorts titled "Woman with Papa" and art by Dr. Ernest Williamson III.  Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction by Theresa Sotto, Michael J. Pagan, John M. Gist, Vallie Lynn Watson, Rich Ives, Matthew Fee, Ken Poyner, Trish Cook, Steve Oberlechner, Cory Johnston, Seth Berg, Bradford K. Wolfenden II, Laura Madeline Wiseman, Valerie Hsuing, William Haas, Matt Paczkowski, Adam Deutsch, Sara Lippman, C. Dylan Bassett, Cindy Clem, Sarah Carson, Maggie Glover, Nancy Devine, and Ethel Morgan Smith.
ISSN: 2166-0840 

Spittoon 3.3:

Disintegration

September 2013

Featuring work by Jeffrey Hecker, Carrie Bennett, Nels Hanson, Erin Lyndal Martin, Jenny Ferguson, Darren C. Demaree, Susana H. Case, Irene Turner, Jacob Schepers, Paulus Kapteyn, and Graham Tugwell.
ISSN: 2166-0840  

Spittoon 3.4:

The Riven House

December 2013 
Featuring work by Alice Fogel, Camille Martin, K. A. McGowan, Jamey Gallagher, Patrick Kelling, James Grabill, and Gregory Kiewiet. Cover art by Leah Givens.
ISSN: 2166-0840 

Spittoon 4.1:

Gnomon 

March 2014
Featuring work by Carol Guess and Kelly Magee, Wayne Lee Thomas, Tantra Bensko, Geoff Collins, James Mathews, Lori Lamothe, Patty Somlo, Alex Greenberg, Parker Smith, and Derek Gromadzki. Also featuring special section: photography by Todd Donery.
 ISSN: 2166-0840

Spittoon 4.2: Mudjug is LIVE! Check it out!

Just released! Buy your copy of ceviche., a poetry e-chapbook by Gregg Murray, from Spittoon Press.

The 2013 Best of Spittoon Award-Winners Have Been Selected!

All work selected for publication in any issue of Spittoon will automatically be entered in our yearly Best of Spittoon contest: one winner   in each genre will be recognized and featured on our website, along with a brief artistic statement from the author; each author will also be awarded a trophy (delivered via USPS). 

The trophy is--you guessed it--an authentic spittoon. Since the trophies are authentic and will often be vintage, each is unique in age, size, shape, color, patina, etc.; they will not   be engraved, but they will be accompanied by an official "Best of Spittoon" certificate of authenticity.

The editors' decisions when choosing writing for Spittoon awards are based on a number of factors, including--but not limited to--editor consensus across and between genres; unsolicited feedback from readers; and how well the piece fits with the stated mission of the journal.

These awards are funded solely by donations. If you are interested in sponsoring an award, or even in donating $1, visit our Spittoon Store.

More Background On SpittoonMag.com

SpittoonMag.com was a vibrant online literary journal that flourished from approximately 2011 to 2014. Operating under the moniker Spittoon: An Independent Contemporary Literary E-zine, this web-based publication boldly carved its niche within the literary world by showcasing contemporary, experimental, and emotionally resonant work from both emerging and established voices.

Its core mission was elegantly simple yet ambitious: to publish “excellent work”—poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction—that combined strong content and meaningful form to create a visceral impact on the reader. Spittoon embraced the daring, the original, and the emotively charged, and explicitly rejected formulaic writing. It aimed to move beyond literary trend-chasing, offering a home for writers whose work was boundary-defying and intense.

“To us, the form is as important as the content and they should both work together to develop the intended effect.” — Spittoon Editorial Philosophy

Founding and Editorial Team

Spittoon was founded and managed by a small but dedicated editorial team headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. The key members of the editorial board included:

• Matt VanderMeulen – Fiction Editor

• Kristin Abraham – Poetry Editor

• Berly Fields – Creative Nonfiction Editor

Each brought a unique lens to the publication, helping it cultivate a rich and diverse literary catalog. Their backgrounds in writing, editing, and education allowed them to nurture new voices while maintaining a high editorial standard across genres.

Location and Operations

Based at:
725 S. Taft Hill Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521

Spittoon was an entirely digital endeavor, leveraging online submission systems such as Submishmash (now Submittable) to manage content intake. This allowed them to process year-round submissions efficiently, though editorial response times were modest—usually ranging from three to five months.

The zine operated without institutional funding, relying on donations and grassroots support, particularly to fund its unique and whimsical "Best of Spittoon" awards.

Content and Genres

Spittoon was widely recognized for the diversity and experimental nature of its content. It featured:

• Poetry – Accepting up to five poems per submission, often pushing aesthetic and thematic boundaries.

• Fiction – Including both traditional short stories and "short-shorts," with a strong preference for experimental fiction.

• Creative Nonfiction – Including memoirs, lyric essays, and narrative nonfiction that remained true to both literal and emotional truth.

Spittoon deliberately refused to publish previously published work, rejected generic genre labeling, and discouraged image-based submissions unless visuals were essential to the piece’s impact.

Visual Identity and Artwork

Each issue featured striking cover art and visual content curated to complement the tone of the writing. Artwork was often sourced from emerging artists, many working in mixed media, digital photography, oil/acrylic, and experimental illustration. Some featured artists included:

• Sara Pritchard

• Morwenna Catt

• Justin Fields

• Dimitri Castrique Ploegsteert

• Eleanor Leonne Bennett

• Martyn E. Jones

• Otha “Vakseen” Davis III

• Dr. Ernest Williamson III

• Leah Givens

• Todd Donery

This integration of the literary and visual arts elevated Spittoon beyond a typical literary publication, making each issue a visually rich, cohesive digital artifact.

Notable Contributors and Issues

Spittoon published a host of widely respected and emerging authors across its tenure. Each issue had a themed or titled concept, and select examples include:

Spittoon 1.1: On the Map (Sept 2011)

Featured Dana Curtis, Molly Brodak, Nate Pritts, and an interview with Arpine Konyalian Grenier.

Spittoon 2.1: Every US (March 2012)

Included Danielle Pafunda, DJ Swykert, and an interview with Sarah Paige Ryan (Solar-Powered Sex Machine).

Spittoon 3.2: Woman with Papa (June 2013)

Featured a collection of "short-shorts" and artwork by Dr. Ernest Williamson III.

Spittoon 3.4: The Riven House (Dec 2013)

Published work by Alice Fogel, James Grabill, and others, with cover art by Leah Givens.

The editorial team curated each issue with attention to cohesion, drawing threads between content and visual design that underscored the journal’s commitment to form-content interplay.

“Best of Spittoon” Awards

In a particularly creative and memorable initiative, Spittoon hosted an annual “Best of Spittoon” contest. Each published piece was automatically entered. Winners in each genre received:

• A vintage spittoon as a trophy (authentic, unengraved, each one unique)

• A certificate of authenticity

• Feature placement on the Spittoon website, along with an artist’s statement

The awards were funded entirely through donations, and supporters could contribute via the Spittoon Store. This quirky, heartfelt prize became a symbol of the zine’s irreverent but sincere ethos.

Submissions and Accessibility

Spittoon’s submission policies were clearly defined, fair, and open year-round. Writers appreciated the clear genre boundaries, open-mindedness to simultaneous submissions, and the attention to editorial integrity.

Some notable guidelines:

• No emailed submissions

• Work must be unpublished

• Use of Submishmash was mandatory

• Visuals were discouraged unless essential

• All contributors were required to wait for editorial response before submitting again

Audience and Cultural Significance

SpittoonMag.com attracted a wide and eclectic audience:

• Writers and poets seeking a platform for boundary-pushing work

• Readers looking for emotionally and intellectually stimulating literature

• Academics and literary critics studying contemporary trends in independent publishing

• Artists and illustrators drawn to its commitment to combining text and visual design

Despite operating on a relatively small scale, Spittoon earned a loyal following in the online lit community, particularly among those tired of mainstream, formulaic content. It provided a valuable stepping-stone for underrepresented voices and innovative formats.

Legacy and Impact

Though Spittoon ceased publishing new content after 2014, its influence endures. The archived issues serve as a snapshot of early 2010s literary experimentation, and its unique editorial and aesthetic standards continue to inspire zine publishers, MFA students, and independent writers.

SpittoonMag.com’s legacy is defined by:

• Its fearless curation of creative content

• Its support for new voices and experimental forms

• Its idiosyncratic sense of humor and style (e.g., vintage spittoon trophies)

• Its refusal to conform to trends or compromise on quality

Even today, archived issues are available through digital preservation initiatives, providing a rich resource for readers and researchers interested in independent publishing history, 21st-century American literature, and the early digital zine movement.

Press, Reviews, and Recognition

While Spittoon did not receive mainstream media coverage during its active years, it was widely celebrated in indie lit circles, with reviews and contributor features appearing in personal blogs, author websites, and small press networks. Several contributors have since gone on to publish books, win fellowships, and gain representation in larger literary institutions.

The site’s ISSN—2166-0840—also ensured its legitimacy and cataloging in digital and academic archives.

SpittoonMag.com wasn’t just an online journal—it was a living, evolving space for serious literary innovation. Guided by a clear-eyed editorial philosophy and a commitment to the emotional and physical effects of writing, Spittoon stood apart from the crowd. Its commitment to originality, refusal to compromise, and celebration of both form and substance made it a rare literary gem in the crowded internet zine space of the early 2010s.

Though now inactive, Spittoon’s ethos and body of work remain an enduring tribute to the power of independent publishing done with sincerity, taste, and a little irreverent joy.