Our Mission
Carolina Muse Literary & Arts Magazine is a multimedia arts magazine primarily showcasing young adult creators in the Carolinas. Our mission is to provide a multi-sensory, immersive platform for all types of creatives that reveals the way various art forms can work together to tell the stories of our human experience. The work we publish is diverse by its nature. While traditional publishing gives a voice solely to two-dimensional creative work, we aim to provide a platform for all creators that is not strictly limited to certain art forms.
Carolina Muse publishes short stories & scripts, poetry, art & photography, music, and dance in a digital, multimedia format on a tri-annual basis. Whether you submit a document, image file, audio file, or video file, our team loves to see creators test the boundaries of their art form to bring their passions, interpretations, experiences, and messages to life. Interested in sharing your work? Our submission window is open on a rolling basis, so read through our submission guidelines, and email us if you feel inspired.
"An emotion or experience you convey with a poem offers a different interpretation from, say, a dance. However, these two art forms are alike in that every creative decision, every semicolon & every movement carries a layer of meaning. A song about loss or loneliness brings you to feel those emotions in an entirely different way from a visual art piece about the same topic. Put next to each other, these pieces work together to tell a cohesive & immersive story. Our team collaborates to hand-match each art pairing on every page to match themes & emotions as closely as we are able in order to put a variety of multimedia art forms in conversation with one another."
–MADISON FOSTER, editor-in-chief
Listen to our CM Spotify playlist to hear songs we have published from local bands & musicians as well as background music from published dance pieces.
Our Team
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Madison Foster
editor-in-chief
Madison Foster has been passionate about the arts in their full scope since she was little. Growing up in Greenville, SC, she could always be found with her face in a book or a guitar strapped over her shoulder. While attending Elon University in North Carolina, she grew her writing & design skills as an English literature major with minors in communications & multimedia authoring. Post-grad, Madison’s love for publishing and the arts led her to bring Carolina Muse Literary & Arts Magazine to life in 2020. The multimedia arts magazine provides a platform for artists from all of the creative arts to share their message. In addition to her work as editor-in-chief of Carolina Muse, Madison works as a social media manager in Western North Carolina. Learn more about Madison and her involvement with Carolina Muse in her BoldJourney interview.
What she’s looking for in submissions...
When reviewing submissions across art forms, I look for pieces that feel authentic and that speak to the range of emotions & experiences that make us human. I like seeing work that utilizes symbols and other creative devices to convey a message and make viewers think deeper.
Lilliana Cameron is a visual artist who has lived all over the Carolinas and is now residing in Greenville, SC. She is an alumni of the College of Charleston, where she majored in studio art and arts management with a minor in art history. In her art, she aspires to capture beauty in the small, everyday moments and inspire a sort of introspection. She works in a variety of mediums but has a strong love for oil paint, watercolor, and charcoal.
What she's looking for in submissions...
I’m looking for artwork from a wide range of mediums, work that feels sincere & unique. I appreciate both technical skills & freedom of expression, and I love art that invites viewers to look deeper.
Lilliana Cameron
art editor
RushJohnston
dance editor
Rush Johnston (they/them) is a Bronx-based multimedia choreographer, poet, performer, filmmaker, and movement researcher. Rush creates at the intersection of visual & performing art, often exploring modes of artistic expression beyond the binary. As a queer, Native, neurodiverse artist, their work often plays with perception & identity, inviting viewers to question proposed truths of self & social misunderstanding. Social justice work is a key element of Rush’s creative vision, often encompassing themes of political turmoil, queerness, and mental health. Rush is the founder & artistic director of Kaleid Dance Collective, an interdisciplinary artistic platform for creative experiments & exhibitions.
What they’re looking for in submissions...
I’m looking for submissions that take risks and expand the possibilities of what dance could be. Of course, technique holds value, but I am much more interested in the artistic liberties you take and the boundaries that you push. The most exciting work to me is work that goes beyond aesthetics and really makes you think. I am looking for dance that is relevant to the world that we live in and addresses uncomfortable topics. I am looking for dance that is informed and dance that inspires.
Jake Shores is a multidisciplinary artist from Greensboro, NC, with a background in theater, music, visual, and literary arts. He is a recent graduate from High Point University, receiving a degree in English with a focus on writing and a minor in theater. He plans to further pursue his education by studying poetry at the graduate level while continuing work on his other creative pursuits in a non-academic setting. He is inspired largely by the natural world and by his interactions with people. His work takes on the challenge of putting a name to the indescribable.
What he’s looking for in submissions...
I want to hear music that transports me when I listen to it, music that stops me in my tracks and brings me to some other time or place or makes me feel something that I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t heard it.
Jacob Shores
music editor
Amanda Conover is a queer writer based in Raleigh, NC. She has a BA in English from Elon University and is currently a student in Arcadia University’s MFA in Creative Writing program, where she specializes in poetry. Amanda has been the poetry editor for Carolina Muse ever since volume I, issue II and absolutely loves everything she gets to do with the literary & arts magazine. Along with her studies and editor responsibilities, she works full time in scholarly publishing, getting to contribute to the publication of scientific articles in journals.
What she’s looking for in submissions...
I look for poems that utilize poetic devices in a way that is specific & unique. I love poems that breast the boundaries and leave you feeling enchanted after you’ve finished reading them.
Amanda Conover
poetry editor
Aidan Mel is a writer living & working in the Greater Philadelphia area. He graduated from Elon University with a BA in creative writing and religious studies and is planning to continue his education by pursuing an MFA over the next few years. His work draws on his fascination with religion & mythology, examining the intersections between the two and their implications in his own life. Currently, he is working at an independent bookstore in Philadelphia, PA while continuing his writing.
What he’s looking for in submissions...
I’m looking for pieces that challenge our notions of truth. I also love stories that use their characters to explore our relationships to ourselves, to others, and especially to both people & place.
Aidan Melinson
stories editor
Misbah Chhotani is based in Burlington, North Carolina. She received a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently, Misbah is preparing to pursue graduate studies in hopes of becoming an occupational therapist. In addition to her academic pursuits, Misbah actively contributes to various online communities. She recently joined the team at Carolina Muse, where she lends her expertise to curating engaging social media content. Outside of this role, Misbah serves as an admin for a worldwide mental health Facebook group, providing support & resources to individuals in need. She also acts as a moderator for the Dermot Kennedy Discord community, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for fans of the artist.
Misbah Chhotani
outreach coordinator
Jenna Kay Duxbury (she/her) is a writer, musician, and painter living in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in professional writing and anthropology. As the project manager for an online community focused on nurturing the intersections of artistic expression & spirituality, Jenna regards the arts as a cornerstone for building community and enriching public & private life. In addition to her role as the newsletter writer for Carolina Muse, Jenna is the lead singer & keyboardist of Skeleton Crew, an alt rock cover band based in the Raleigh-Durham area. Currently she is learning how to rollerblade and play the trumpet.
Jenna K. Duxbury
newsletter writer