This year’s theme, "Dreams and Visions," centers around the collective unconscious of the human experience. From shattered glimpses of dreams you tell your friends to the nightmares that still stain your reality like shadows, we are connected by our unconscious uncharted territories and cosmic revelations.
Our multi-sensory experiences, such as dreams and visions, are influenced by the reality we consume in real life and online, creating the vivid portrait of the human experience. Neil Gaiman once said, "People think dreams aren’t real just because they aren't made of matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But they are made of viewpoints, of images, of memories and puns and lost hopes." "Dreams and Visions" seeks to extract the very essence of our concealed reality and selves from the people around us. It is the seen and unseen—the hidden crevices in the minds and voices in the shadows—the memories, thoughts, or fragmented hauntings that trail us like a ghost to the bathroom in the morning and to bed at night.
"Dreams and Visions" serves as a pathway for individuals to share their hopes, loves, losses, idiosyncrasies, stories, or recurring memories. The Tower staff seeks the visionary wordsmiths, mundane bathroom stall inscribers, sidewalk chalk enthusiasts, Tumblr poets, musicians, and anonymous white board Picasso’s to let us bring to life your vision, your dream, your experience in this world. This year, The Tower is searching all of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education for those who welcome the exploration of the conscious and the unconscious, the bounds of the human journey, and the desire to share a new perspective.
The possibilities of "Dreams and Visions" are only as wide as your lens. It was John Lennon who asked, "Who is to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"
There is still so much to uncover and understand about ourselves and the world around us. In order to help us make your dreams and visions come to life, stop, look around, what do you see? What do you feel? What do you fear? What do you dream?
Only currently enrolled undergraduate students of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education are eligible to submit.
Edited, designed, and produced by students enrolled in a two-semester course offered by the English Department, The Tower is an annual journal that publishes the best in art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by undergraduates in the state of Minnesota.
Please enter a cover letter addressed to the editors and include a short bio for yourself written in third person, suitable for publication, should your work be accepted. List your year, major(s), university/college/institute, and anything else you would like us to know. For visual artwork, please specify the medium, dimensions, and year of completion. Include your contact information: email address, phone number, and a current street mailing address.
Submissions are read during the fall semester; the issue is published during the spring semester in print and online, and is distributed free on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota.
Our deadline is January 16, 2024.
Acquisition Standards
1. We look for work from Minnesota artists that is original, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
2. We encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists to give voice to the many perspectives and communities that call Minnesota home.
3. We accept simultaneous submissions on the condition that if a piece is accepted elsewhere, the artist communicates such with the editors and withdraws the piece from consideration.
4. We do not publish work that is hateful towards any marginalized community or could be construed as hateful.
5. We do not publish work that has been previously published elsewhere.
6. We do not publish work that is overly confessional or exists to elicit shock value.
7. The Tower reserves the right to rescind planned publication at any time according to the guidelines outlined above.
Only currently enrolled undergraduate students of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education are eligible to submit.
Edited, designed, and produced by students enrolled in a two-semester course offered by the English Department, The Tower is an annual journal that publishes the best in art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by undergraduates in the state of Minnesota.
Please enter a cover letter addressed to the editors, and include a short bio for yourself written in third person, suitable for publication, should your work be accepted. List your year, major, university/college, and anything else you would like us to know. Include your contact information: email address, phone number, and a current street mailing address.
- Submit your work as a Word .doc or .docx attachment. Name the file with the title of the poem.
- If you are submitting multiple poems, submit each separately. Please submit no more than seven poems per reading period.
Submissions are read during the fall semester; the issue is published during the spring semester in print and online, and is distributed free on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota.
Our deadline is January 16, 2024.
Acquisition Standards
1. We look for work from Minnesota artists that is original, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
2. We encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists to give voice to the many perspectives and communities that call Minnesota home.
3. We accept simultaneous submissions on the condition that if a piece is accepted elsewhere, the artist communicates such with the editors and withdraws the piece from consideration.
4. We do not publish work that is hateful towards any marginalized community, or could be construed as hateful.
5. We do not publish work that has been previously published elsewhere.
6. We do not publish work that is overly confessional, or exists to elicit shock value.
7. The Tower reserves the right to rescind planned publication at any time according to the guidelines outlined above.
Only currently enrolled undergraduate students of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education are eligible to submit.
Edited, designed, and produced by students enrolled in a two-semester course offered by the English Department, The Tower is an annual journal that publishes the best in art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by undergraduates in the state of Minnesota.
Please enter a cover letter addressed to the editors and include a short bio for yourself written in third person, suitable for publication, should your work be accepted. List your year, major, university/college/institute, and anything else you would like us to know. Include your contact information: email address, phone number, and a current street mailing address.
- Submit your work as a Word .doc or .docx attachment. Name the file with the title of the essay. Please do not submit pieces that have been previously published. This includes but is not limited to social media and personal websites. If you are submitting multiple essays, submit each separately. Please submit no more than four essays per reading period. Please limit your submission to no more than six pages, double-spaced, per piece, due to our limited publication space.
Submissions are read during the fall semester; the issue is published during the spring semester in print and online, and is distributed free on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota.
Our deadline is January 16, 2024.
Acquisition Standards
1. We look for work from Minnesota artists that is original, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
2. We encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists to give voice to the many perspectives and communities that call Minnesota home.
3. We accept simultaneous submissions on the condition that if a piece is accepted elsewhere, the artist communicates such with the editors and withdraws the piece from consideration.
4. We do not publish work that is hateful towards any marginalized community or could be construed as hateful.
5. We do not publish work that has been previously published elsewhere.
6. We do not publish work that is overly confessional or exists to elicit shock value.
7. The Tower reserves the right to rescind planned publication at any time according to the guidelines outlined above.
Only currently enrolled undergraduate students of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education are eligible to submit.
Edited, designed, and produced by students enrolled in a two-semester course offered by the English Department, The Tower is an annual journal that publishes the best in art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by undergraduates in the state of Minnesota.
Please enter a cover letter addressed to the editors, and include a short bio for yourself written in third person, suitable for publication, should your work be accepted. List your year, major, university/college/institute, and anything else you would like us to know. Include your contact information: email address, phone number, and a current street mailing address.
Submissions are read during the fall semester; the issue is published during the spring semester in print and online, and is distributed free on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota.
Our deadline is January 16, 2024.
Fiction Guidelines
- Short stories and Flash fiction can be submitted
- Novel excerpts can be submitted as long as the excerpt fits the theme and reads like it's own stand-alone story
- Submit a piece that's 3,000 words (10 -12 pages) max
- Submit the piece in 12-point font, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins
Acquisition Standards
1. We look for work from Minnesota artists that is original, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
2. We encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists to give voice to the many perspectives and communities that call Minnesota home.
3. We accept simultaneous submissions on the condition that if a piece is accepted elsewhere, the artist communicates such with the editors and withdraws the piece from consideration.
4. We do not publish work that is hateful towards any marginalized community or could be construed as hateful.
5. We do not publish work that has been previously published elsewhere.
6. We do not publish work that is overly confessional or exists to elicit shock value.
7. The Tower reserves the right to rescind planned publication at any time according to the guidelines outlined above.
Only currently enrolled undergraduate students of Minnesota’s institutions of higher education are eligible to submit.
Edited, designed, and produced by students enrolled in a two-semester course offered by the English Department, The Tower is an annual journal that publishes the best in art, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by undergraduates in the state of Minnesota.
Please enter:
- A Cover letter addressed to the editors. Include a short bio for yourself written in third person, suitable for publication, should your work be accepted. List your year, major, university/college/institute, and anything else you would like us to know. For visual artwork, please specify the medium, dimensions, and year of completion. Include your contact information: email address, phone number, and a current street mailing address.
- An Artist Statement
- Give list including: Medium and Materials
The instructions:
- Submit your photography, paintings, drawings, comics, etc. as high-resolution, print-quality images (see “what we want” for specifications).
- Name the file with the title of the piece. Do not include your name in the file title.
- Include your name, contact information, the title and medium of the work submitted, and a brief bio in the designated space for a bio/cover letter (as mentioned above).
What we want:
- High-resolution, print-quality images: 300 dpi, in JPG or TIF file format. Size to fit roughly a 7” x 11" page size. Use RGB color profile.
- If you are submitting multiple pieces, please submit them separately (no more than 10 submissions are accepted per reading period).
- A short preface explaining the medium used and what the work is about—especially if the theme or intention of it isn’t clear.
- Photography, paintings, traditional and digital drawings, comics, etc (see below for what this does not include).
We do not accept:
- Fan art such as portraits of famous people (musicians, celebrities, etc.); photographs of concerts or performances; imitations of posters, logos, brands, etc.
- Social-media-inspired art and writing such as portraits with Instagram filters, meme imitations, tributes to YouTubers, etc.
- More than 10 pieces per reading period.
- Already published visual artwork. This includes but is not limited to social media, personal websites, and sites like RedBubble.
Submissions are read during the fall semester; the issue is published during the spring semester in print and online, and is distributed free on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota.
Our deadline is January 16, 2024.
Acquisition Standards
1. We look for work from Minnesota artists that is original, authentic, and emotionally resonant.
2. We encourage submissions from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists to give voice to the many perspectives and communities that call Minnesota home.
3. We accept simultaneous submissions on the condition that if a piece is accepted elsewhere, the artist communicates such with the editors and withdraws the piece from consideration.
4. We do not publish work that is hateful towards any marginalized community or could be construed as hateful.
5. We do not publish work that has been previously published elsewhere.
6. We do not publish work that is overly confessional or exists to elicit shock value.
7. The Tower reserves the right to rescind planned publication at any time according to the guidelines outlined above.