Kartika Review

A quarterly publication, Kartika Review is an Asian American literary journal started in 2007. Their first issue featured an interview with Gene Luen Yang, creator of American Born Chinese. The journal is currently on issue seven and publishes book reviews, author interviews, poetry, essays, and artwork. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis so you can visit Kartika's submissions page to submit, advertise, or subscribe to their mailing list.

Kartika's mission statement:

"Kartika Review serves the Asian American community and those involved with Diasporic Asian-inspired literature. We scout for compelling Asian American creative writing and artwork to present to the public at large. Our editors actively solicit contributions from established virtuosos in our community in hopes their works here will inspire the next generation of virtuosos. We also want to promote emerging writers and artists we foresee to be the future powerhouses of their craft. Ultimately, Kartika strives to create a literary forum that caters to and celebrates the wordsmiths of the Asian Diaspora."

Also, the meaning behind Kartika's name is quite cool.

"In Vajrayana (or Tibetan) Buddhist tradition, the kartika, a crescent-shaped knife, symbolizes the cutting away of ignorance and superficiality, with the hopes that it will lead to enlightenment. The kartika is kept close during deep meditation or prayer. It serves mainly as a metaphorical reminder of our self-determined life missions and never is it actually wielded in the offensive against others. We took on this namesake because the kartika best represents this journal’s vision."

• Website | Blog | Facebook
• Past issues archive
• Link from Angry Asian Man
• Kartika's page on Duotrope Digest
• Post from Kartika about KWELI's call for submissions. KWELI is an online literary journal established to identify, promote, and nurture emerging writers of color.