Friction

Friction is the resistance to relative motion between things. It can be subtle, slightly altering motion in ways we do not even notice—slippery, unseen. Or it can grind things to a halt—abrasive, hot, tangible.

We want to hear more about the friction you see in the world, the force that impacts the movement of people, ideas, and things. Wherever it is, from our interpersonal relationships to our institutions, we want to know more. How does it work? What are the causes and effects? Why do we need to examine this force? And where, perhaps, do we need more friction, more resistance?

Caustic Frolic is seeking art, fiction, non-fiction, and poetry submissions that will invite our readers to think deeper about friction. We look forward to engaging with you.

Submission Requirements:

  • Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 9th at 11:59PM EST
  • All submissions must be print-ready.
  • All submissions should be 6,000 words or fewer. For non-fiction submissions, please include a 100-200 word abstract.
  • Essays should be formatted to follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition; please use endnotes, double-spaced, on a separate page following the body of the text.
  • All fiction, nonfiction, and poetry submissions must be in .doc or .docx file format.
  • All art submissions must be in high-resolution digital format (PSD or PNG files) and a minimum of 5x7in.
  • Digital and non-genre conforming submissions: please submit whatever format makes sense to you and we will work out details on a case-to-case basis. Please feel free to contact Caustic Frolic with any questions
  • Please include a cover page with your name, telephone number, email address, short bio (up to 150 words), and, if applicable, university, department, and expected or received degree and date. The cover page should be a separate document from the submission.
  • Please do not include any identifying information in the body of your submission.  All submissions are evaluated anonymously, so identifying information should only appear on your cover page.
  • We accept submissions in any language, but an English translation must accompany all non-English texts. Non-English submissions will only be made available online.
  • We accept multiple submissions (up to 5 pieces per author), but we ask that each submission be submitted individually
  • Simultaneous submissions are acceptable.
  • Again, final submission deadline is Friday, February 9th

Submit all work to: causticfrolic@gmail.com