REFUSE: A Journal of Iconoclasms

refuse-socialmediapost(Image: Industrial wasteland landscape with a distant view of planet earth. Art by Carlos Cavalie) 

REFUSE: A Journal of Iconoclasms (ISSN 2767-1194) embraces the multidimensional and ambiguous meaning of the term “refuse.” To refuse is to be unwilling to do or perform that which one considers unacceptable. Refuse is matter that has been thrown away, deemed worthless. To re(-)fuse is to bond together that which has been broken; to repair. 

Iconoclasm is the intentional destruction of traditional cultural images, monuments, and doctrines. Places from which the force of authority and discipline emanates are, from the perspective of iconoclasts, the ruins of tradition. In our refusal of the dominant, default and disciplinary, we reclaim and celebrate cultural productions and forms of knowing that have been trashed and neglected, and in doing so repair the severed connections in our collective mycelium, fertilizing possibilities for new life in the ruins.  

We welcome writers, artists, and scholars of all stripes (independent, affiliated, contingent, recovering, fringe) to join us in creating a platform for full-bodied and unapologetic refusal of societal bunk.  

ISSUE #1 (April 2021) is online! Go to https://refusejournal.com 

The editorial team of REFUSE invites ongoing submissions on the themes of refusal, refuse, and repair. We welcome submissions of writings, two-dimensional artworks such as (but not limited to): 

      • Manifestos, provocations, subversions 
      • Enlivened re-animations/reminders of rebellious thinkers and ideas
      • Poetry
      • Short Fiction
      • Diary entries
      • Unpublishable memos
      • Leaked institutional documents
      • Uncompleted To-Do Lists 
      • Junk theory
      • Real and imaginary interviews
      • Responses to/collages of rejection letters 
      • Banishing and protective rituals/spells
      • Photos of protests, graffiti, property destruction
      • Fashion statements 
      • Memes

A curated number of submissions will be chosen to be independently published as part of a printed limited edition zine, available to contributors, Incite Seminars Patreon members and for purchase (while supplies last). Accepted submissions will also be shared on an ongoing basis in an open-access online compilation. 

Submissions should be sent to refuse.submission@gmail.com and should relate to the themes of refusal and iconoclasm, broadly conceived. 

Best Regards,

Editorial Team

Natalia Smirnov & Davood Gozli

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