Our mission

wildness was founded by Michelle Tudor and Peter Barnfather in 2015, and operates as an imprint of Platypus Press.

Personally, I love what wildness does.
— Anis Mojgani

wildness believes Black lives matter. (Visit these BLM carrds to learn more.)

We were honoured when wildness was featured by Poets & Writers in their Nine New Lit Mags You Need to Read feature, mentioning that Wildness features formally inventive work by both established and emerging writers that embraces the mysteries of the self and the outside world. Also, when speaking with P&W, Eric Tran said of wildness: When I read an issue of wildness I’m prepared to be moved and surprised, bowled over by writers who are unafraid, or maybe afraid but still brave and capable, incisive and insightful.

Such a beautiful journal of writing.
— Victoria Adukwei Bulley

In her 9 Online Poetry Journals to Read on a Rainy Weekend Morning feature (for little infinite), Lisa Marie Basile called wildness a literary journal unparalleled. wildness was shortlisted in the 2020 Saboteur Awards in the ‘Best Magazine’ category.

A great and important journal.
— Anthony Anaxagorou

We have also answered questions about the journal (and press) for some great places, including the Poetry Society of America’s Site Visits section, Moveable Type for AWP Writer, as well as the Chicago Review of Books’ Dear Poetry Editor feature.

wildness always leaves me floored.
— Elle Nash

Work published in wildness has been featured in or by Best of the Net, The Best Small Fictions, Bettering American Poetry, and The Best American Essays, as well as on multiple occasions in Verse Daily’s Web Weekly feature.

• Of Birds and Men and Night, Walter M. Robinson, was selected for inclusion in the ‘Notable Essays and Literary Nonfiction’ section of The Best American Essays 2022 (Alexander Chee).
• I am always busy wanting others lives, by Claudia Delfina Cardona, and Verge Notes, by Bhanu Kapil, were both listed on Entropy Magazine’s Best of 2020–21, in their ‘Favorite Poems Published Online’ category, and This Constant Living, by Karishma Jobanputra, was listed in their ‘Favorite Online Fiction’ category.
• From a Window, by Devin Kelly, was selected for inclusion in the ‘Notable Essays and Literary Nonfiction’ section of The Best American Essays 2021 (Kathryn Schulz).
• Fuck / Conferences, by Inua Ellams, and Polaroid, by Catherine Wong, were both selected by Rion Amilcar Scott for inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2021.
• Tolu Agbelusi’s poem prosopagnosia, was featured by Poetry Daily.
• What We Leave Undone, by Omotara James, and The Future, by Ryo Yamaguchi, were both selected by Elena Stiehler for inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2020.
• K-Ming Chang’s poem Lone wolf narrative was selected by Eloisa Amezcua for Best of the Net 2019.
• Yes, Crosshatch, I Feel You., by Hari Alluri, and Black Lagoon, by chekwube o. danladi, were both listed on Entropy Magazine’s Best of 2019, in their ‘Favorite Poems Published Online’ category, and The Haenyeo’s Daughter, by Sydney S. Kim, was listed in their ‘Favorite Online Fiction’ category.
• My Sometimes Vietnamese, by An Uong, was selected for inclusion in the ‘Notable Essays and Literary Nonfiction’ section of The Best American Essays 2019 (Rebecca Solnit).
• Clint Smith’s poem When people say, “we have made it through worse before”, was featured by Poetry Daily.
• There will only be one funeral, by Benjamin McPherson Ficklin, and The New York Times reports that 200 Iraqi civilians have been killed by U.S. military airstrikes, by Clint Smith, were both selected by Rilla Askew for inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2019.
• Lone wolf narrative, by K-Ming Chang, and Lore, by Nancy Huang, were both listed on Entropy Magazine’s Best of 2018, in their ‘Favorite Poems Published Online’ category, and [ Nests ], by Yeji Ham, was listed in their ‘Favorite Online Fiction’ category.
• Tim Carrier’s poem Dreams of Love, was featured by Poetry Daily.
• Yesterday Is a Wild Parrot, by David Rompf, was selected for inclusion in the ‘Notable Essays and Literary Nonfiction’ section of The Best American Essays 2018 (Hilton Als).
• Tariq Luthun’s poem Hårb (Or on Waging War in Spite of God) was selected by Eduardo C. Corral for Best of the Net 2017.
• Chen Chen’s A Favorite Room was included in Bettering American Poetry, Volume 2.
• The Truth About Distance, by Gen Del Raye, and tree rot, by Alvin Park, were both selected by Amy Hempel for inclusion in The Best Small Fictions 2017.

You can find wildness listed on Duotrope, CLMP, NewPages, and Poets & Writers.