By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – Some art exists only for a moment. A stage performance ends, a gallery exhibit comes down and a reading concludes. For Leah Livingston, editor-in-chief of Horizon Review, those creative moments deserve a life beyond the stage or gallery. That belief inspired the creation of the Albuquerque-based literary and fine arts magazine, which is now accepting submissions for its second issue.
“We began to recognize that there was a need in our community for a more permanent container to hold the stories and the art that are rooted in the moment,” says Livingston. “We see print publication as this sort of encapsulation. It’s where the past, the present and the future all converge and become this more permanent offering to our community that transcends time.”
Created under the umbrella of FUSION, a Downtown Albuquerque nonprofit dedicated to theater and the arts, Horizon Review was founded to provide an accessible outlet for writers and artists across the Southwest. Livingston explains that the publication also removes barriers that can make publishing feel out of reach while giving aspiring editors and publishing professionals valuable hands-on experience through paid and credit-earning internships.
“One of my reasons for starting Horizon Review was to give people that chance,” says Livingston.
The magazine celebrated another milestone earlier this year with the release of its inaugural issue on April 26. The first print run sold out, and a second printing is expected within the next month. Copies are currently available for purchase at FUSION (708 First St. NW), as well as online with shipping and free local pickup options.
Now, Horizon Review is accepting submissions for its second issue and is looking for work across multiple genres. While the magazine welcomes fiction, poetry and visual art, Livingston hopes to see more creative nonfiction and submissions in the publication’s unique open media category.
Open media allows artists to submit work such as short films, music, performance videos and other creative formats that can be experienced through QR codes printed alongside the work in the magazine.
“I think we didn’t have quite as many open media pieces as we had hoped to have,” says Livingston. “We include a QR code that links to the different forms of media that people can go and engage with online and interact with.”
Beyond publishing, Horizon Review is also building community through workshops and events. Livingston emphasizes that writing is often viewed as an isolated pursuit, but the magazine wants to create spaces where writers and artists can collaborate and support one another.The next workshop, “Roots-through-Roots: Culture, Nature, and Her Inhabitants,” will be led by Salvadoran American naturalist and writer Bianca Lucero on Aug. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. at FUSION. The workshop encourages participants to explore the connections between nature, culture and storytelling.
“The creative process is community. It’s collaborative. It’s engaging with each other, and it’s helping each other reach those different levels of thriving and of success,” says Livingston.
For artists who may be hesitant to submit, Livingston offers simple advice. “You literally have nothing to lose,” says Livingston. “If you don’t submit, that’s already an automatic no. But if you do submit, there’s a chance that you get a yes.”
Livingston also emphasizes that although Horizon Review accepts submissions from residents of the Southwest, the work itself does not need to center on the region.
“We want pieces of all different kinds of themes and flavors and esthetics,” says Livingston. “It doesn’t have to be based on the Southwest.”
Horizon Review is accepting free submissions for Issue 2 through Nov. 2. The magazine accepts fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art and open media from current residents of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Both established and emerging artists are encouraged to apply, and selected contributors receive $25 per accepted piece plus a complimentary copy of the magazine. Submission guidelines are available on Horizon Review’s website (horizonreview.org).