Menu is an online journal presenting a collection of delicious literature thrice-yearly--Spring, Summer, and Winter. Each issue is inspired by, and conceptually represents, its respective season. I've always loved the overall idea and journey of meals. Ingredients are foraged, prepared, mixed, and then transmuted through cooking into a whole better than what they could be individually. They become a dish. I believe that both fiction and poetry are in many ways relatives of cooking. Settings are conceptualized, characters scavenged, the plot is prepared, and then, all of comes together to create a story. 

 

Menu is my blend of the two. Short-form literature presented as dishes, a special menu, and described as such, comprised of ingredients, flavors, spices, tasting notes, and then, offered to you for consumption. I recommend pairing these stories and poems with food, especially something reminiscent or comparable to the story. Reading and eating at the same time is one of my favorite activities--there's something special about going to a restaurant by yourself with a collection of stories or poetry and reading it as you eat. It's not a common activity, but it's a beautiful one, and I think you should try it. 

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My name is Daniel, creator of Menu. I'm not anyone particularly important. I don't have a fancy writing bio. I'm an undergraduate. But I am the one who had the idea, and I'm sharing it with you, kind of like a meal. So I'm excited, then, to see what ingredients you bring to this kitchen, and this table. I wager this will be a delicious endeavor for all of us. 

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Submission Information:

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• What can I submit? Fiction & poetry (30 pages of story, 5 poems) all genres. Content focusing or relating to food or the season of the issue is not required. We appreciate generally interesting and original narrative, elegant and sharp language, intriguing characters, and that "X" factor that brings something from the page up into real life, complete with tantalizing scents, sounds, and fascinating human insights. We want your three-Michelin star work.​

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• Do you take publication rights? No. Menu does not take any rights. But, once your fiction or poetry is published with us, and choose to submit it elsewhere, check with the magazine or journal you're submitting to to see if they accept re-prints. They might not accept anything that's been published on a different site. 

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• Where can I submit? Submissions only accepted through Submittable. I'm one person, and juggling email, Submittable, and other venues would likely slow down my response time considerably. Submittable = streamlined = speed = a better experience for all of us.

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• Does the format matter? Anything readable is accepted, including mixed-media pieces like poems accompanied with photographs, etc. Just please make sure it's website format appropriate. I have no coding experience. 

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• When/how are issues released? Issues are released three times a year. Spring, Summer, and Winter, all digitally on the website. 

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• When can I expect a response for my submission? Response times will be between 1 day and 1 week before the launch of each issue: April 1st, August 1st, and December 1st, depending on volume. I'm in school, so finals months will be a bit slower, and summer and winter break will be much faster. 

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• Who are you? Daniel Barbeau, he/they pronouns, undergraduate student currently studying in San Francisco. I love reading (lately, Night Bitch, The Best Small Fictions 2021, Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow, Skinship, Danez Smith, Natalie Diaz, The Immortalists, I'm Glad My Mom Died, The Three-Body Problem, Lapvona, Heartstopper, short fiction by Jennifer Eagan, Lauren Groff, K-Ming Chang, and so many more. I also love cooking; exploring farmers markets, YouTube recipes, and hidden-gem restaurants are some of my life's greatest joys. 

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• How can I contact you? Send me a message on Submittable or an email at themenu.literature@gmail.com.

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• Do you pay? Not at this time, but hopefully in the future. 

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• I have a different question. See the contact information right above.

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