CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Trompe-lāÅil
The Columbia Journal of Literary Criticism is seeking art submissions for its 2025 issue to be published in the spring. Art should act in conversation with the theme and will be placed throughout the issue–within and between written works of literary criticism. Writers should either be current undergraduates or recent graduates submitting undergraduate work.Ā
Founded in 2002, CJLC acts as an interdisciplinary, undergraduate forum centered around literature, culture, and politics. The journal is published once a year and includes articles, reviews, interviews, and original artwork. CJLC attempts to examine the world around us in a way that is informed by academic thought but not subsumed by it.
Submission guidelines:
Art: You are welcome to submit both single page and two-page spreads. We welcome submissions of original visual art in any mediumĀ (up to 10 per artist) that engage withĀ trompe-l’ÅilĀ formally or thematically.Ā
Art submissions are due on Sunday, March 16, at 11:59 pm EST. Please send your submissions to submittocjlc@gmail.com. In the body of the email, please include the title of each artwork (& series, if relevant), medium, dimensions, and year of creation.
Submissions for written work are now closed.
This forthcoming issue will explore the theme of Trompe-lāÅilāthat which deceives the eye. We look forward to receiving pieces that explore and challenge the meaning of trompe-lāÅil and any words or themes associated with it.Ā
In a story recounted by Pliny the Elder, two ancient Greek painters, Zeuxis and Parrhasius, competed to showcase their mastery of painting. Zeuxis began by painting grapes so lifelike that birds flew down to peck at them, deceived by their realism. Confident in his triumph, Zeuxis turned to Parrhasius, who invited him to pull aside a curtain to view his own work. When attempting to do so, Zeuxis realized the curtain itself was painted by Parrhasius.
One of the earliest descriptions of trompe-lāÅil, the tale playfully captures the effect of optical illusionism and the simultaneous fascination and threat associated with itāwe are always captivated by the magic of realist representation and in the meantime intimidated by its powers of trickery that denies us of reality.
But what is real and what is not? Historically, ārealityā and āthe realā have been paired with many āoppositesā by philosophers and theoristsāillusion, appearance, simulation/simulacrum, virtuality, fiction, image, copy, or even language and the symbolic. From Platoās allegory of the cave to the society of the spectacle, from Renaissance paintings to VR technologiesā¦ How is the eye deceived? Can it ever not be?
For this issue, we invite you to think about/through/with/against these concepts. We welcome any form of literary criticism, and art, defined in the broadest way. You may send any questions you have to submittocjlc@gmail.com.
Stay up to date by keeping up with our website and Instagram, @c_j__l_c. We look forward to reading you!
Some commonly-asked questions:
Q: What does CJLC do?
A: We edit and publish two issues a year: our annual CJLC issue in the spring which is open to submissions from Columbia and universities across the globe, and a “staff issue” in the fall which includes reviews and interviews by our own staff. Throughout the year, you’re also welcome to write reviews and conduct interviews which will be published on the CJLC website.
We’re also trying to hold more events on campus.
Q: Is CJLC a lit mag?
A: No! Instead of publishing creative writing, we publish critical writing — writing that engages with theory and criticism.
Q: What is the time commitment?
A: We usually meet once a week for no more than one hour. You are expected to participate in the editing process of the two issues and to contribute at least 1-2 pieces of writing (reviews/interviews) throughout the year.
Q: What is literary criticism?
A: Good question! Maybe the world is a text?