The PERCH • SOCIAL • Volume 8
Deadline: March 30, 2025
SOCIAL is co-produced by Yale PRCH and the College of Letters at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Thank you for your interest in The Perch.
The PERCH announces an open call for submissions for its new issue, SOCIAL, to be published in September 2025!
The PERCH is a creative arts journal with mental health themes focused on original voices.
Many studies have shown the significance of being social and that of social support networks in promoting wellness and recovery from mental health and substance use, as well as physical health challenges. The PERCH’s new SOCIAL issue will explore various forms of what it means to be SOCIAL in 2025! What does being social look and feel like today? How is it experienced? What does social support look like? What does the lack or loss of social support feel like? How have social networks changed or expanded? What does it mean to be in connection with others—in person or virtually? What are people doing to stay connected and counteract loneliness and isolation?
We seek poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, artwork, virtual art, and scholarly pieces that illustrate the many aspects of social support and its relationship to wellness and recovery. Narratives may include personal stories about seeking and finding social support; the loss of social support and its consequences; and the complex range of thoughts and feelings that one may have in relation to their support systems. Submissions should reflect social support’s many forms, including but not limited to friendships, relationships, mentorship, peer support and support groups, community, and social media. We are looking for specific and in some cases unusual or unexpected stories and images.
This is a peer-reviewed open call—all are welcome to submit pieces for consideration! Please submit your stories or artworks by MARCH 30, 2025. We anticipate a SEPTEMBER 2025 publication date. Email graziela.reis@yale.edu with questions or concerns.