The Inquisitive Eater is a food based literary journal managed by MFA students at The New School. 

Submissions are now open for The Inquisitive Eater’s December 2026 issue: FERMENT. 

To ferment is to engage in a process of alchemy by so-called undesirable elements to transform into something new. Bacteria, yeast, and mold, beget kimchi, yogurt, wine, bread, and miso. Fermentation opens our senses to new flavors, textures, and aromas. In politics, ferment is agitation, unrest, excitement, turmoil, and possibility. What have you metabolized? What complex alchemy deserves its space on the page? Write about it. Send it to us.

Deadline: November 20th. Please send as a .doc,.docx, or .pdf file in 12 pt. font. 

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

+ Writers must submit their original works. Previously published work is not accepted. Simultaneous submissions welcome, but please let us know if your work gets picked up elsewhere. 

+ Please title your document as follows: TITLE, AUTHOR NAME, CATEGORY 

+ Please submit your text as a Word document 

+ Arrange in MLA format. Right-hand margins. Double spaced. 12pt font. Do not use bold lettering 

+ Do not include any other information other than the title and text on the submission document. Only input your personal details on the submittable portal

+ For poetry, alternative document spacing is OK. Max 4 poems per submission 

+ For fiction and nonfiction, please do not go above the 2,000 word limit. 

***Documents that do not meet this criteria will not be considered for publication***

Submissions are accepted and managed through our Submittable page: inquisitiveeater.submittable.com