What is Caesura?
In poetry, a “caesura” is a break, or a pause in the middle of a line. We have named our journal
Caesura because we believe writing can be that pause, that break from the hectic world in which we live. In that “pause” we can reflect and create, finding new ways to make the world over.
Our Goal:
Our goal with Caesura is to celebrate and give space to the Creative Writing of Young Lutherans. We believe that writing provides an opportunity to reflect the power of our great Creator by allowing us to see His world in new and different ways through creating works of our own. Writing connects us -writing moves us outside of ourselves. We cannot bid anyone to see the world the way we do, but through writing we are given that chance. We want to give you the chance to share your work with the world – let us help amplify your God-given talents with the world.
Who We Are:
The editors of Caesura are Professor Anton Jones and Dr. David Rogner of Concordia University Chicago’s Department of English. In addition to teaching, both of the editors are active writers. Dr. Rogner in poetry and hymns, and Prof. Jones in fiction and poetry. They also edit Motif, Concordia University Chicago’s journal of the arts. You can find more information about both editors from the faculty profiles on the English Department page.
Caesura is Back!
Thank you for your continued support. We are happy to announce the re-launch of Caesura: A Journal for Young Writers!
Enjoy the following volumes of Caesura.
Download Caesura Volume 2 (PDF)
Download Caesura Volume 1 (PDF)
The Concordia University Chicago Department of English is happy to announce the third issue of Caesura: A Journal for Young Writers. Our first issue was released in May 2023.
This first two journals celebrated and published the creative work of young Lutherans, grades 5 through 8. For this third issue, we are opening up submissions to high schoolers as well. We will have sections of the magazine dedicated to the best of each grade level so that writers of all ages can experience the opportunity despite the gap. We deeply value the voices of young writers and seek to give them greater exposure. We believe that creative writing is a gift bestowed upon us by God to reflect, and reflect on, the world He has given us. We want to encourage and promote these talents of your young writers by sharing them with the world at large.
In poetry, a “caesura” is a break, or a pause in the line. We have taken this as our name because we view writing in that way—it is break from the hectic world in which we live, a world that increasingly seems to disregard the thoughtful and the beautiful—our journal seeks to remedy this by encouraging your students to seek that pause, to seek that break, and employ the gifts of creation that have been bestowed on them.
Caesura is digital journal, published annually, and fully edited by Prof. Anton Jones and student intern Abigail Porter of CUC’s Department of English. The journal will publish poems, fiction, creative non-fiction and plays from students. It is important to note that not every piece of writing that we receive will be published.
Our submission window will be open until April 1, 2025. The journal will be published online by April 30, 2025.
We look forward to reading the work of your students and building relationships with young writers passionate about sharing their work with the world.
If you have any questions, at any time, please contact Prof. Anton Jones at Anton.Jones@CUChicago.edu.
Submission Guidelines:
- Submissions may include poems, short stories, creative non-fiction essays (non-academic essays) and plays.
- There is no limit on how many pieces a writer may send for consideration.
- Submission to Caesura is open to any writer in 5-12th grade.
- Our submission window for volume 3 closes on April 1, 2025.
- All submissions must be made via email to Caesura.Journal@CUChicago.edu in the form of attachments and not placed in the body of the email.
- Please make sure attachments are in Word or RTF format. DO NOT send a Google Doc.
- Each item for submission should be its own attachment—one document per attachment. There is no limit to the number of attachments you may send. For example, if a writer was submitted 3 poems and 2 stories, their email would have 5 total attachments.
- Please label your attachments in the following way: Last Name of Writer - Title of Piece - Genre of Writing. Example: Pederson - End of Summer - Poem.
- Please include the writer’s information—name, grade, school—in the body of the email.
- Writers will be notified via email if their piece will be published.
- If any submission is suspected of being written by an AI, it will be disqualified immediately.
