About Us

A sequestrum is a necrotic bone fragment, identifiable by its separation from standard skeletal structures. Despite its autonomy, these slivers retain the phosphates and marrows of their source. A sequestrum is a remnant, independent yet interconnected to its origin. And so is the writing we publish. Sequestrum is a journal of short prose and poetry. We publish concise, evocative writing that couldn’t exist in any other form, yet reminds us of the breadth and scope of longer works. Brew us in the morning to swirl with your coffee grounds, or let our bones rattle and sing their skeleton song on your daily subway ride. In the whir of modern life, we spread our splintered dreams under your feet; tread softly, for you tread on our dreams—be them home to many a toothy edge.

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Sequestrum accepts manuscripts year-round, offers pay-what-you-can subscriptions, publishes on a rolling basis (about every two weeks), pairs all publications with stunning visual components, and is home to award-winning writers and new voices alike. Publishing online awards us the flexibility of maintaining this publication philosophy, as well as keeping access to our Archives available at some of the lowest rates around. We’re proud to be an independent, affordable, sustainable home for literature (it also lets us print our virtual pages on virtual trees, not real ones). Sequestrum isn’t bankrolled by any outside controlling interests and is a self-sustaining literary community. We believe good writing deserves recognition and are a paying market for new and literary-heavyweights alike. Details on all of this stuff is on this website. Poke around; you’ll find what you’re after.

Sequestrum began as a collaborative effort by graduates of Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.