Empty Mirror

a literary magazine

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Empty Mirror 25th Anniversary

Empty Mirror celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 31, 2025! While we are currently on hiatus, we invite you to enjoy a quarter century of writing and art in our archives.

Click to read any of the pieces featured below, read more from the category, or refresh the page for a fresh selection!

On Literature

Mr. Henry David Thoreau

I Am Nothing: Thoughts on Thoreau

Paul Maher Jr.

An interview with author Vanessa Blakeslee

Our Ironic Conditions are Shooting Back at Us: A Conversation with Vanessa Blakeslee

Madison Jade and Vanessa Blakeslee

More Essays and Interviews

Poetry

Digital art by D. Raphael

For the Woman Who Keeps My Forever

Sam Silva

six

Two poems by Alexus Erin

Alexus Erin

More Poetry

Beat Generation

Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac's On the Road

Excerpt from Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road

Paul Maher Jr.

T. Paul Ste.. Marie and Ted Joans

Ted Joans Lives! Words by T. Paul Ste. Marie

T. Paul Ste. Marie

Jack Kerouac - The Sea is My Brother

Addendum to “Lost Letter Found”

Paul Maher Jr.

beat beat beat

The Beat Generation vs. “Beatniks”

Denise Enck

More About the Beat Generation

Visual Art

GOYA - El aquelarre (Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid, 1797-98)

In Goya’s Dark Room

Nazli Karabiyikoglu

Raoul (detail) - Jeffrey Cyphers Wright

Insignia: Collages by Jeffrey Cyphers Wright

Jeffrey Cyphers Wright

More Art

Essays

The Accidental Monster: Salomé, Mom and Me

The Accidental Monster: Salomé, Mom and Me

Melissa Knox

photo by Laura Johnson

Desert Alignment

Laura Johnson

More Essays

The EM newsletter

Receive fresh poetry, reviews, essays, art, and literary news every Wednesday!

Empty Mirror

Established in 2000 and edited by Denise Enck, Empty Mirror is an online literary magazine that publishes new work each Friday.

Each week EM features several poems each by one or two poets; reviews; critical essays; visual art; and personal essays.

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  • Beat Generation
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