We Welcome Your Submission
Persimmon Tree’s mission is to bring the creativity and talent of women over sixty to a wide audience of readers of all ages. We are looking for work that reveals rich experience and a variety of perspectives. Each issue of the magazine will include several fiction and nonfiction pieces, poetry by one or more poets, and the work of one or more visual artists. The magazine is published quarterly.
Persimmon Tree does not accept any submissions generated in whole or in part by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Persimmon Tree does not accept any submissions generated in whole or in part by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Click here for guidelines for your submission:
Fiction and Nonfiction
Poetry
Short Takes
Art and Illustrations
Forum
Fiction and Nonfiction
Poetry
Short Takes
Art and Illustrations
Forum
Fiction and Nonfiction
Please read and follow these instructions carefully. We regret that we cannot accept any submission that does not follow the guidelines as to what should be sent, when it should be sent, and to whom it should be sent.
We welcome previously unpublished pieces under 3,500 words, written by women over sixty. Submissions may be sent to us any time during the year. Multiple submissions are accepted. If you want to send more than one piece, put them in separate emails.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please inform us immediately if any item in your submission is accepted elsewhere.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Submissions should be in Word, double-spaced, with 12-point type and numbered pages. At the top of the first page please enter author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address.
Please send your submission as an attachment to us at: editor@persimmontree.org. Type the title of the piece, labeled fiction or nonfiction, in the subject line. Include a brief biographical statement (less than 50 words) and a headshot in your email.
We welcome previously unpublished pieces under 3,500 words, written by women over sixty. Submissions may be sent to us any time during the year. Multiple submissions are accepted. If you want to send more than one piece, put them in separate emails.
Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please inform us immediately if any item in your submission is accepted elsewhere.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Submissions should be in Word, double-spaced, with 12-point type and numbered pages. At the top of the first page please enter author’s name, address, telephone number, and email address.
Please send your submission as an attachment to us at: editor@persimmontree.org. Type the title of the piece, labeled fiction or nonfiction, in the subject line. Include a brief biographical statement (less than 50 words) and a headshot in your email.
Poetry
Persimmon Tree invites older women poets to submit their previously unpublished poems twice each year. In order to keep the number of entries at a manageable level, submissions are solicited on a regional basis. We will inform you when the windows for submissions of poetry from each region open. We regret that we cannot accept submissions outside those windows.
The regional rotation for future issues will be as follows:
The regional rotation for future issues will be as follows:
- Winter 2026/2027: Central (the Midwest, the Great Plains, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee)
- Summer 2027: International (for poets living outside the US or in a US Territory)
- Winter 2027/2028: East (the coastal states from Maine to Florida, and also Alabama, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia)
- Summer 2028: West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)
Poets from the central states (including the Midwest, the Great Plains, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee) will be invited to submit their work for the winter issue, which will be published in mid-December. Please do not submit your work for that issue now. Refer back to these pages and to upcoming weekly email newsletters for the dates when you will be invited to do so.
Once the submission window opens, you may submit up to three previously unpublished poems. Simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please inform us immediately if any poems in your submission are accepted elsewhere.
Submit your poems all together in a single Word document, single-spaced (double-spaced if that is how you wish the poem to appear), in 12-point type. Please be sure your name is at the top of each page of the document.
Email the document as an attachment to poetry@persimmontree.org. The subject line of the email should read “Poetry Submission Summer 2026.” Include in the email your name, street address, email address, and phone number, as well as a headshot and a short bio (no more than 50 words).
We regret that the volume of entries may make it impossible for us to acknowledge receipt of your poems.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Short Takes
Short Takes are usually short prose pieces, fiction or non-fiction (250-500 words), but can also be topical poetry, sometimes even drawings or photography. We’re especially interested in hearing about your experiences, but you can include your thoughts, dreams, ideas and opinions. Humor and irony are always appreciated!
Please read and follow these instructions carefully. We regret that we cannot accept any submission that does not follow these guidelines. In particular, make sure that the address on your email is correct.
Please read and follow these instructions carefully. We regret that we cannot accept any submission that does not follow these guidelines. In particular, make sure that the address on your email is correct.
Issue #81—Winter 2026-2027–New Year’s Aspirations and Illusions
As a new year approaches, resolutions start popping into our heads. I vow to lose more weight; I will finally clean out the attic. But why not be more daring this year? The new year offers a fresh start. It can be a time to imagine a new self. What would you like to do or change that is beyond the reach of the everyday? Train for a mini marathon? Up your level on the canvas or the piano? Write the novel that’s waiting inside you? Make a new friend? Find a new lover? The imagination is limitless. Of course, there is a difference between thinking and doing. What might hold you back? Are your new year’s resolutions realistic, or just illusions? You may not achieve everything you set out to do: how many of us really clean out the attic? But even small starts, small changes, can make life a little richer. Tell us what you aspire to and how you might make that happen.
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Issue #82—Spring 2027–Mentorship: Nurturing Growth
We will all have many advisers in our lives: parents, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, personal trainers, life coaches, even personal shoppers. But only some, or none, of these will be a mentor–the special person who both inspires and supports you through your growth as you create, develop, and advance your talent in whatever field you choose.
You may want to write about a mentor who made a significant difference in your life, or about a mentor/mentee relationship you knew or read about, or even an imaginary mentor. Whichever, there are any number of questions you might wish to reflect on: when did you, or the mentor and mentee you are describing, first meet? How long did the relationship last? In what ways was did it encourage you and spur you to achievement? Or did you feel that it became a discouragement, even hostile?
Perhaps you prefer to write from the mentor’s perspective. Were you or someone you know or have imagined someone else’s mentor? How does it feel to guide a mentee through difficult moments or celebrate successes? Does it help or hinder you with your own development? Does it enrich or deprive a friendship?
Mentors and mentees can find each other at any age. You don’t have to be a teenager or an elder. When did the experience you are describing begin?
And finally, some relationships that begin well can turn unhealthy if jealousy or possessiveness intrude. Did that happen to you, either as mentor or mentee? Did you get past it? How would you describe the most mutually beneficial way to foster growth?
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
You may want to write about a mentor who made a significant difference in your life, or about a mentor/mentee relationship you knew or read about, or even an imaginary mentor. Whichever, there are any number of questions you might wish to reflect on: when did you, or the mentor and mentee you are describing, first meet? How long did the relationship last? In what ways was did it encourage you and spur you to achievement? Or did you feel that it became a discouragement, even hostile?
Perhaps you prefer to write from the mentor’s perspective. Were you or someone you know or have imagined someone else’s mentor? How does it feel to guide a mentee through difficult moments or celebrate successes? Does it help or hinder you with your own development? Does it enrich or deprive a friendship?
Mentors and mentees can find each other at any age. You don’t have to be a teenager or an elder. When did the experience you are describing begin?
And finally, some relationships that begin well can turn unhealthy if jealousy or possessiveness intrude. Did that happen to you, either as mentor or mentee? Did you get past it? How would you describe the most mutually beneficial way to foster growth?
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Issue #83—Summer 2027–Small Graces, Small Annoyances
We often think of big events or changes as the most important experiences in our lives. We live in a time and place with deep divisions that may seem overwhelming. But in fact, life is made up of small moment after small moment, and some of these can be a gift.
Was there a time when an unexpected happening brought you pleasure or joy? Is there an ordinary, everyday task that may seem routine or commonplace, but that you look forward to in your day? Can small graces ease pain or worry? Do you seek them out, or are they serendipitous?
On the other hand, how many times do small annoyances throw you off your rhythm? What distracts you from putting time into what you care about? Do you sometimes put too much emphasis on negative intrusions when in fact they are not worth the time or effort? Or, to turn that sentence on its head, perhaps it is those very small annoyances that ignite the creative spark, the bit of sand in the machinery that seems to be clogging it but instead is setting it on a whole new and productive course?
What would you suggest that might help others appreciate small graces and dismiss small annoyances, to maintain a balanced life? Or, turning that sentence on its head, what would you suggest that might help others appreciate that small annoyances can bring unexpected benefits and that easy wins, which seem at the time like small graces, might in fact be exactly the surfeit of comfort that keeps creativity at bay?
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Was there a time when an unexpected happening brought you pleasure or joy? Is there an ordinary, everyday task that may seem routine or commonplace, but that you look forward to in your day? Can small graces ease pain or worry? Do you seek them out, or are they serendipitous?
On the other hand, how many times do small annoyances throw you off your rhythm? What distracts you from putting time into what you care about? Do you sometimes put too much emphasis on negative intrusions when in fact they are not worth the time or effort? Or, to turn that sentence on its head, perhaps it is those very small annoyances that ignite the creative spark, the bit of sand in the machinery that seems to be clogging it but instead is setting it on a whole new and productive course?
What would you suggest that might help others appreciate small graces and dismiss small annoyances, to maintain a balanced life? Or, turning that sentence on its head, what would you suggest that might help others appreciate that small annoyances can bring unexpected benefits and that easy wins, which seem at the time like small graces, might in fact be exactly the surfeit of comfort that keeps creativity at bay?
Publication date: To be announced
Dates submissions will be accepted: To be announced
(Please do not submit earlier or later than those dates.)
Your submission must be previously unpublished and under 500 words. Submit it to us as a Word document; be sure your name, address, phone number, and email address are all in the Word document. Send us the document by an email addressed to shorttakes@persimmontree.org, and type “Short Take” in the subject line of the email.
Include a headshot and short bio (no more than 50 words) in the email.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Art and Illustrations
Please read and follow these instructions carefully. We regret that we cannot accept any submission that does not follow the guidelines as to what should be sent, when it should be sent, and to whom it should be sent.
Although the artists who are featured on our dedicated art page are chosen by our art editor, we welcome previously unpublished submissions of work in all media for display and illustration throughout the rest of the magazine. You are invited to send up to five samples of your work (in jpg format, 72 dpi) by email addressed to publisher@persimmontree.org. Include in the email, the title and medium of each work, a headshot, your name, postal address, phone number, email address, and a short biographical statement (less than 50 words). Submissions may be sent at any time during the year.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Although the artists who are featured on our dedicated art page are chosen by our art editor, we welcome previously unpublished submissions of work in all media for display and illustration throughout the rest of the magazine. You are invited to send up to five samples of your work (in jpg format, 72 dpi) by email addressed to publisher@persimmontree.org. Include in the email, the title and medium of each work, a headshot, your name, postal address, phone number, email address, and a short biographical statement (less than 50 words). Submissions may be sent at any time during the year.
You must be subscribed to submit; click here to subscribe. Submissions and subscriptions are free.
Forum
Readers will be asked to contribute to each issue of the magazine their views on questions of moment to the Persimmon Tree community of older women writers and artists. We will inform you when the windows for submissions to the Forum are open. We regret that we cannot accept submissions outside those windows.
This year we celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of a great American composer. Born on July 4, 1826, Stephen Foster came to life on the same day that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. His “Oh! Susanna” became the banner song of forty-niners during the California gold rush. “Old Kentucky Home” and “Old Folks at Home” are still the state songs of Kentucky and Florida. “Camptown Races” and “Beautiful Dreamer” are sung today, more than a century and a half after they were written.
But troublesome lyrics in some of his songs risk diminishing his legacy. In Foster’s day, blackface minstrel shows were the popular entertainment, and songwriters who didn’t write for this medium would have had difficulty introducing their music to the world. The lyrics in Foster’s minstrel music, while indefensible, comprised only a small portion of his work. And decades ago, the Center for American Music revised Foster’s lyrics to omit offensive language.
It's hard to overstate the influence Foster had on American music as one of its first popular composers. Composer-lyricist Irving Berlin and composer-pianist George Gershwin both took inspiration from his songs. The tunes are timeless and the lyrics often speak to enduring and universal truths. It would be a shame if Foster, who wrote the defining music of his time, were deprived of his rightful place in history.
For this aging, vagabond author, Foster’s songs take me home to Suwannee River country in North Florida, where ancient, moss-clad oaks and palmetto scrub line the riverbanks a few miles from my grandparents’ homesteads. This book, “Beautiful Dreamer,” is my tribute to him.
Available from 
Judy Ireland’s poems have appeared in Hotel Amerika, Calyx, Saranac Review, Eclipse, Cold Mountain, Coe Review, and other journals, as well as in two anthologies, Best Indie Lit New England and Voices from the Fierce Intangible World. Her bookCement Shoes (Evening Street, 2014) won the 2013 Sinclair Poetry Prize. She is also an amateur photographer. She is Co-Director for the Performance Poets of the Palm Beaches, Senior Poetry Editor for the South Florida Poetry Journal, and a teacher at Palm Beach State College.