El Portal offers a unique venue for the original work of writers, artists, and photographers. Published biannually, El Portal is funded by a generous grant from Dr. Jack Williamson, a world-renowned science fiction writer and professor emeritus at Eastern New Mexico University.
Founded in 1939 as the creative forum for the students, faculty, and staff of ENMU, it was Dr. Williamson who gave us the name of El Portal, along with his vision to showcase the region through art. Since then, we hold a soft spot for the West, but our eclectic tastes make us open to everything. Consequently, views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of ENMU.
Our mission is our name: El Portal is a door to poetry and fiction, photography and art, non-fiction and flash works striving to transgress boundaries, straddle borders, and most importantly, move us. El Portal is accepting original, unpublished short stories, creative non-fiction (<4,000 words), flash fiction (<1,000 words), photography/art, and poetry.
ENMU students, national, and international writers are welcome to submit their works for free. ENMU students are eligible to win cash prizes awarded to first-, second-, and third-place winners in each category.
Photo: Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, NM Photo #3 © 2019 Linda Sumption
Monthly Web Features
Road Runner
April 2024 Web Feature by Denise Hopkins Denise Bickford Hopkins (They/Theirs) is a queer poet originally from mid-coast Maine. They hold their BA in English & Anthropology from the University of Maine and their MFA in Creative Writing from Boise State University. Their work has appeared in Foglifter, Baest, Oroboro, and Stolen Island, among others.…
A Love Affair with Death
March 2024 Web Feature by Brandon Ligon Brandon Ligon is an Arizona-based writer and composer with passions in soundscapes and the surreal. Dreams, night, and nonhuman narrators are major inspirations for his work, constantly blurring the boundary of accepted reality. His art strives to reveal the hidden nuances to our daily lives. This piece was…
Miriam’s Daughter
September 2023 Web Feature by Andy Spisak Andy Spisak was born in New Jersey and earned degrees at Boston University and Tufts University. After working for several years in public policy and economics, he has begun a new career in writing. His short stories have been published in Adelaide Literary Magazine, October Hill Magazine, and…
El Portal Literary Journal 