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

Is Southern Art a Thing?: Thoughts from a Technically Southern Arts Writer

Sara Estes

Readability Versus Creativity: On Susan Howe and Reading Poetry

Leticia del Toro

More Essays and Interviews

Poetry

war flower poem

A poem by Mohammad Afandideh

Mohammad Afandideh

semiahmoo door / credit: de

Observations on the Cynic

Todd Clouser

More Poetry

Beat Generation

The Rebirth of the Author in On the Road by Jack Kerouac

The Rebirth of the Author in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road

Eric V. Patterson

Railroad Earth - Photo is Road to Nowhere by Blue Betty via http://www.sxc.hu/profile/bluebetty, photoshopped by Empty Mirror

October in the Railroad Earth – Jack Kerouac

Empty Mirror

Ted Joans Lives! Tribute (11)

Empty Mirror

The First Third - Neal Cassady

Who was Neal Cassady?

Empty Mirror

More About the Beat Generation

Visual Art

dangle (detail) - merlin flower

3 Paintings by Merlin Flower

Merlin Flower

Chris Turnbull - maybe (detail)

Vispo by Chris Turnbull

Chris Turnbull

More Art

Essays

How to Be Silent in German

How to be silent in German

Kasia van Schaik

Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan

On Waiting

Yasmine Shamma

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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