Announcing Trickster 2026 / Call for Submissions on “Metamorphosis”
Artwork by Jonelle Chavez, Adrian Fuentes, and Lloyd Gray
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: March 27, 2026
CALLING ALL NEW MEXICO WRITERS & ARTISTS
TRICKSTER 2026 on “Metamorphosis”
Meta - Beyond
Morphe - Transformation
Metamorphosis - to go beyond transformation
Metamorphosis is the change of a thing or person into something completely different, by natural
or supernatural means. It is the changing of not only one’s body or mind but also
shifts in nature and situation. Think of iron turning burnt orange with rust after
being exposed to water, the ingredients in a box becoming a cake covered in a thick
coat of icing, or how a local business shutting down can affect an entire town.
These events all share the same experience; they present the obstacle of change. Metamorphosis
is the inescapable fate that we constantly go through. It extends from the farthest
corners of our minds to the language that comes from our tongues. It’s everywhere,
a clutch of eggs transforming into a flock of ravens. A typewriter being exchanged
for a computer. The aspens turning gold across the Sangre de Cristos as the seasons
change. Humans returning to dust. Metamorphosis exists everywhere, from place to place,
situation to situation, human condition to human condition. It’s the basis of everything,
and yet it’s completely subjective and distinctive to the individual experiencing
it.
Tricksters, go beyond the cliche and predictable, push boundaries, be unconventional
in your poems, prose, and craft. Show us how your lives and the world around you transform.
Wrap yourself in a chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly who is unafraid to reveal the
depth of your world.
CONTACT Trickster at trickster@nnmc.edu
TRICKSTER Submission Guidelines
Trickster is a literary journal published yearly by Northern New Mexico College and edited by students. We are looking for unpublished poetry, fiction, nonfiction, artwork and any combination therein. The landscape and cultures of northern New Mexico shape our perspective, but we are excited to accept original work relating to our current theme.
- Prose should not exceed 5000 words.
- Poetry submissions should be limited to 3-5 poems.
- Multiple submissions (such as more than one poem or flash fiction piece) should be attached as one document.
- Please attach your work as a .doc or .rtf file and email to trickster@nnmc.edu
- Attach artwork to your email as a high resolution (300ppi) jpg, tif or pdf.
- Include a 50-word bio, separately in third-person voice.
- All pages should be numbered.
- We read all submissions anonymously, so please include your name, address and email address only in the body of the email, in addition to the title of work(s). No identifying information should appear on the manuscript.
- Simultaneous submissions accepted, but please let us know immediately if work is accepted elsewhere.
- All contributors will receive one copy of the journal