Saint Paul Almanac

Saint Paul Almanac Saint Paul Almanac is a literary arts organization. We tell and share stories across cultures.

TODAY'S THE DAY!Make plans to be at the Midwest Black Book Fair!This inaugural fair will be happening at the University ...
08/22/2026

TODAY'S THE DAY!
Make plans to be at the Midwest Black Book Fair!

This inaugural fair will be happening at the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) at 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Join us in celebrating this noteworthy event that will showcase a vast literary landscape consisting of Minnesota's Black writers, illustrators, publishers, readers, librarians, literary-centered organizations and more.

Proudly Saint Paul Almanac works hand-in-hand with a grand host of colleagues and friends who gladly serve a gifted and talented literary community.

SEE YOU THERE!

TOMORROW’S THE DAY!The inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair will be at the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach-En...
08/21/2026

TOMORROW’S THE DAY!

The inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair will be at the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Avenue, North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Join Saint Paul Almanac in celebrating this noteworthy event that will showcase a vast literary landscape consisting of Minnesota’s Black writers, illustrators, publishers, readers, librarians, literary-centered organizations, etc.

Since 2027, Arcata Press | Saint Paul Almanac has championed the works of Black poets, writers, illustrators, and oral historians, particularly those of the Rondo community: Debra Stone; Tish Jones; Donte Collins; Dr. Margaret Lovejoy; Robin Hickman; Ta-coumba Aiken; Dr. Mahmoud Kati; Anura Si-Asar; former St. Paul Police Chief Bill “Corky” Finney; and world renown author, pioneering photojournalist, and photographer Gordon Parks (11/30/1912 – 3/7/2006), among many other voices that are often diminished, unrecognized, or unknown.

Proudly, Saint Paul Almanac works hand and hand with a grand host of colleagues and friends who gladly serve a gifted and talented literary community!

We will see you there on Saturday!

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, 12 – 5 PM, the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair will occur at the University of Minnesota...
08/20/2026

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, 12 – 5 PM, the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair will occur at the University of Minnesota Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Avenue, North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

At 1:00 PM, Debra Stone, a Saint Paul Almanac published writer, will discuss her notable debut middle-grade historical novel, The House on Rondo with author, composer, and musician Davu Seru, the Curator of the Givens Collection of American Literature.

Join Saint Paul Almanac at this historic event!
See you there!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!The Saint Paul Almanac Anthology Volume 15 is open for submissions! We want work that is fresh and ...
08/20/2026

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!

The Saint Paul Almanac Anthology Volume 15 is open for submissions! We want work that is fresh and dynamic, and work that offers a unique perspective on our lives, our communities, and the richness of our many cultures and connections in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota.

Saint Paul Almanac wants to amplify YOUR voice! We welcome a wide range of topics in the form of fiction, personal essays, short memoir, and poems that are told from the slant of your own experience. We welcome a range of emotions, from humor to outrage and from sorrow to celebration, and themes that vary from struggle to triumph. Our group of community editors look for work that makes us think, moves us, or surprises us, and we're especially interested in those voices that are often missing.

We're seeking work from YOU, those who are living in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota from the following communities and movements: BIPOC writers across generations, disabled writers, trans writers, social justice activists/writers, writers engaged in social movements, writers experiencing homelessness, writers encountering food insecurity, writers who are immigrants, writers who are refugees, writers from marginalized groups, and visionary writers who can articulate how disparate communities can work together to create harmony and unity in a discordant world.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
We accept only blind submissions so please read the guidelines carefully.
We recommend that you check out the digital magazine to see what types of stories we have published: Saint Paul Almanac-The Magazine | literary arts magazine https://www.saintpaulalmanac-themagazine.org
or access work on our website: https://saintpaulalmanac.org

You may submit one work of prose and up to three poems, but only the best piece will be accepted for publication. Therefore, we will accept only one poem or one prose piece per writer.

All submissions must be previously unpublished and not created by using AI. Any work created by using AI will be disqualified and removed.

For full guidelines, go to: https://saintpaulalmanac.submittable.com/submit

KOFI BOBBY HICKMAN was born and raised in Saint Paul and remained a life¬long resident of the city. In 1968, Hickman fou...
08/20/2026

KOFI BOBBY HICKMAN was born and raised in Saint Paul and remained a life¬long resident of the city. In 1968, Hickman founded the Inner City Youth League, which he ran as executive director for 20 years. Working out of a building at the corner of Victoria Street and Selby Avenue, the organization opened a boxing ring and trained young boxers. It introduced teens to art through classes in painting and photography and taught black history, theater, and music. Hickman also ran a newspaper, tutored, and sponsored forums where teenagers could question city officials before audiences of adult community members. He directed the Inner City Youth League for twenty years and was a community activist for more than forty years.

Hickman reflected on his reputation in a 1978 Pioneer Press newspaper profile. "I was catapulted into prominence because I was never afraid to speak my mind ... I was always the one who was willing to do something. That's probably why our image was so bad. Although I probably came off that way, I didn't consider myself hostile. If we saw some social breach, we thought nothing of marching right into anybody's office." After leaving Inner City Youth League, Hickman partnered with activist Spike Moss and worked with City Inc. in Minneapolis.

Later in life, he discovered Buddhism and traveled to Kenya and Ghana, where he was named Kofi in a ceremony. In his last decade, he embraced his role as a community elder.

Support our writers! Purchase our books at: https://saintpaulalmanac.org/store/

What do facts have to do with storytelling? When you look at the facts, you see that the voices of all the people who ma...
08/19/2026

What do facts have to do with storytelling? When you look at the facts, you see that the voices of all the people who make up the neighborhoods of Saint Paul are vital to the past and current historical record and legacy of the city. The community editor apprenticeship provides a way for people from differing backgrounds to come together and have conversations about cultural sensitivity, equity, and social justice, and our role in creating change as individuals and as a literary journal.

Our apprentices come from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds,
ages, genders, gender identities, and levels of writing experience. It’s imperative to acknowledge the history of BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and differently-abled communities throughout our conversations about individual pieces. Doing so, we collect and publish stories representative of diverse people and places, choosing those that are the most engaging, provocative, or heartfelt. We have a rare opportunity to see the world with new perspectives, through someone else’s eyes. We may not always agree, but we agree to listen.

Support our writers! Purchase our books at: https://saintpaulalmanac.org/store/

LUCY ALLENE TROY-SMITH was a normal high schooler when she wrote this for Saint Paul Almanac. She has a passion for writ...
08/18/2026

LUCY ALLENE TROY-SMITH was a normal high schooler when she wrote this for Saint Paul Almanac. She has a passion for writing: “I’m growing up in a regular home with a loving, supportive family. I like to write. I write all the time.”

Support our writers! Purchase our books at: https://saintpaulalmanac.org/store/

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, at UROC, join Saint Paul Almanac in celebrating the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair. Thi...
08/14/2026

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, at UROC, join Saint Paul Almanac in celebrating the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair. This noteworthy event will showcase a vast literary landscape consisting of Minnesota’s Black writers, illustrators, publishers, readers, librarians, literary-centered organizations, etc.

Since 2007, Arcata Press | Saint Paul Almanac has championed the works of Black poets, writers, illustrators, and oral historians, particularly those of the Rondo community: Debra Stone; Tish Jones; Donte Collins; Dr. Margaret Lovejoy; Robin Hickman; Ta-coumba Aiken; Dr. Mahmoud Kati; Anura Si-Asar; former St. Paul Police Chief Bill “Corky” Finney; and world renown author, pioneering photojournalist, and photographer Gordon Parks, among many other voices that are often diminished, unrecognized, or unknown.

Proudly, Saint Paul Almanac works hand and hand with a grand host of colleagues and friends who gladly serve a gifted and talented literary community!

This fair is a free, family-friendly celebration of Black literature and storytelling and will be held at the University of Minnesota's Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), located at 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

See you at the fair!

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, at UROC, join Saint Paul Almanac in celebrating the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair. Thi...
08/14/2026

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, at UROC, join Saint Paul Almanac in celebrating the inaugural Midwest Black Book Fair. This noteworthy event will showcase a vast literary landscape consisting of Minnesota’s Black writers, illustrators, publishers, readers, librarians, literary-centered organizations, etc.

This fair is a free, family-friendly celebration of Black literature and storytelling and will be held at the University of Minnesota's Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), located at 2001 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411.

Since 2007, Arcata Press | Saint Paul Almanac has championed the works of Black poets, writers, illustrators, and oral historians, particularly those of the Rondo community: Debra Stone; Tish Jones; Donte Collins; Dr. Margaret Lovejoy; Robin Hickman; Ta-coumba Aiken; Dr. Mahmoud Kati; Anura Si-Asar; former St. Paul Police Chief Bill “Corky” Finney; and world renown author, pioneering photojournalist, and photographer Gordon Parks, among many other voices that are often diminished, unrecognized, or unknown.

Proudly, Saint Paul Almanac works hand and hand with a grand host of colleagues and friends who gladly serve a gifted and talented literary community!

See you at the fair!

CALL FOR ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS to THE MAGAZINE—FALL 2026, Issue 3! AMERICAN DREAM(ING). What is your reality? We are look...
08/13/2026

CALL FOR ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS to THE MAGAZINE—FALL 2026, Issue 3!

AMERICAN DREAM(ING). What is your reality?

We are looking for artwork to illustrate our call for meditations, stories and poems. Be a witness for change by offering your artwork to accompany the written work. This unprecedented time must be documented. Let’s gather our collective voice so we can connect and sustain our unique, diverse, and vibrant communities.

The phrase "the American Dream" means the core belief that any person, no matter where they start in life, can achieve success, safety, and a better future through hard work and fairness. It is rooted in the idea of basic rights like freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

Do you believe you have achieved the dream? Are you optimistic that you will? Or, has this dream been “deferred?” Is it a positive force that inspires hope or is it a negative force that promotes systemic failures and extreme materialism?

This is the call:
We want to see artwork from YOU, from those living in the Twin Cities and around Minnesota, as we respond to what American Dream(ing) means to you today.

Submit 1 or 2 works of art. These can be drawings, paintings, photographs, or collages that are previously unpublished in any medium, including social media, and have not been exhibited for the public. Please include the name of the artwork submitted. All submissions must be not created by using AI.

IMPORTANT: Submission format should be JPEG or PNG at 300 dpi and no larger than 5-6 MB inches.

SEND YOUR ART SUBMISSIONS TO:
[email protected]

Address

275 4th Street E, Ste 701
Saint Paul, MN
55101

Telephone

+16514476639

Website

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