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

An interview with author Vanessa Blakeslee

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

Madison Jade and Vanessa Blakeslee

17 Syllables: The Death of Traditional Haiku

M.A. Barrett

More Essays and Interviews

Poetry

arbor trail / credit: em

The End of the World Through a Fish Bowl

Sam Silva

JK - Jack Kerouac typewriter

3 Poems by Ryan Ritchie

Ryan Ritchie

More Poetry

Beat Generation

poet and painter Kay Johnson / Beat Hotel resident

Poet Kay Johnson, aka Kaja

David Gitin

Cosmopolitan Greetings by Allen Ginsberg

Now What’s Wrong? Reflections on Allen Ginsberg’s Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986-1992

Doren Robbins

Bob Kaufman's Lonely Vigil by Michael Amundsen

Bob Kaufman’s Lonely Vigil – Michael Amundsen

Michael Amundsen

On the Road movie poster

The Official Kerouac “On the Road” Movie Trailer is Here!

Denise Enck

More About the Beat Generation

Visual Art

Black and White (detail) - Janina Aza Karpinska collage

Four collages by Janina Aza Karpinska

Janina Aza Karpinska

Blanc Casse 7 (detail)

Blanc Casse: visual poetry by hiromi suzuki

hiromi suzuki

More Art

Essays

photo credit: Digital Third Eye

From Motown to Mowtown

Andrew Lees

Plain Sight by Matt Dube

Plain Sight

Matt Dube

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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