PC #16 will be:

THE SURFACE ISSUE

Look like th' innocent flower / But be the serpent under it". - William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act I.v.56-57

In geometry, a surface is a set of points that has "length, breadth, but no thickness." It's a skin; an object's "outermost part" or "upper layer." As a noun, surface lacks depth; it's thin and superficial. Give the word action, and it breaks the plane of itself. When we surface, what was once hidden is revealed. 

The surface can be the best part of a thing, like the decadent skin that time and temperature give cooked pudding. It can shape our perception depending on its spatial relationship with us. Evolution has made it so some fish are dark from above while light from below. Before we knew about the depth of space, constellations gave meaning to the plane of night. People still  pull logic and light from stars stretched across the the sky.

What's on or below the surface does not always match. Submarines cruise the silent sea. Some children live lives beyond the contours of their innocent faces. After a long hiatus, the next issue of Prodigal's Chair will be about breaking that place where the horizon meets the sky; about discovering depths and revealing truths.

SEND YOUR STORIES, SONGS, POEMS, AND IMAGES (BOTH STILL AND MOVING) ABOUT BREAKING THROUGH OR DIVING IN ​BY FRIDAY, APRIL 1ST.

Header art  by T. Guzzio. Original photo via Creative Commons.

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YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE

So what are we looking for? What can you think of? We will consider:

• Essays, short stories, poems, videos, music, photos, digital art, or any combination of the above.
• As a multimedia platform, we have a lot of flexibility that traditional print outlets don't.

Who can contribute:

• In addition to welcoming the work of established writers, musicians, and artist, PC is a place that honors everyone's creative potential.
• If you have an idea, send it along, even if you don't feel "artsy." We can help you find your voice.

If your work is accepted:

• You won't get paid, nor will it cost you to have your work published on PC. We're interested in the free exchange of ideas through art.
• Prodigal's Chair acquires First Serial Rights and Nonexclusive Archival Electronic Rights to showcase your work indefinitely. Once published, all rights revert to you.
• You're welcome to submit the same piece elsewhere, we simply ask for an "originally published in..." credit.
• Learn more on rights here.