ABOUT * ABOUT *

ABOUT * ABOUT *

ABOUT * ABOUT * ABOUT * ABOUT *

Aftertouch Magazine is a literary and art publication that centers ekphrasis. Our view of ekphrasis is expansive, incorporating art in all of its forms. We strive to push beyond pieces that only focus on visual art, platforming work that ruminates on music, film, media, the performing arts, literature, and other subjects. We rely on early definitions of ekphrasis, stripping it down to its roots. In Aphthonius’ Progymnasmata, ekphrasis is first defined as “a composition bringing the subject clearly before the eyes.” As such, our view of art is broad – anything created by humans with intent and meaning.

Ekphrasis inherently places works in conversation with one another. Poetry and prose engage with different forms, bringing a new perspective to the reader. Our name highlights this exchange. “Aftertouch” is a feature on electronic keyboards that allows the artist to modulate the sound by applying more pressure to the keys. Ekphrasis operates similarly. The (new) artist applies pressure, building their own interpretation. Through manipulation, the piece changes while retaining the same undertones.

Structurally, this sense of exchange is woven throughout the work we publish. Each text-based piece published will be accompanied by a piece of visual and audible art selected by our editors (from pieces submitted by artists and musicians). We view this as akin to the process of museum curation, cultivating miniature exhibits within each published piece.

We believe art is something to be shared. All featured creators will be appropriately credited, with bios for all three artists appearing at the bottom of each post. All pieces will also be featured on our social media via sharable posts. Our editorial team will also interview contributors who are interested, with typed interviews appearing on our website roughly two weeks after the original piece is published. This timeline enables us to further promote your work for an extended period of time.

VALUES * VALUES *

VALUES * VALUES *

VALUES * VALUES * VALUES * VALUES *

Historically, ekphrasis has been used as a means of archiving. Homer’s The Iliad preserved the architecture of Greek temples, while Shelley’s “On the Medusa of Leonardo Da Vinci in the Florentine Gallery” records the lost titular piece. In line with this precedent, Aftertouch is invested in the ways that ekphrasis can be used to conserve art and the artists that produced them. We encourage submissions from historically marginalized creators and/or art produced by historically marginalized artists.  

All art is inherently political. As such, our remembering, analysis, and creation of it is political as well. As a magazine, Aftertouch is opposed to work that praises imperialism and colonialism. Work that champions Zionism and genocide will not be considered for publication. We believe in a free Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, Venezuela, Cuba, and support liberation movements worldwide. 

Generative AI has a substantial negative impact on the environment and those living within it. As such, we will not platform written, visual, or audio pieces that utilize AI as a substitute for artistic creation; however, we acknowledge that critical analyses of the influence of AI on art and culture cannot be truly effective without engaging with it in some way. To allow our editorial staff to make informed publishing decisions, all pieces that utilize AI must include a reference and brief explanation in the cover letter. Pieces that do not self-report will not be considered for publication, and pieces proven to be AI influenced post-publication will be pulled. All content available on Aftertouch Magazine was created by humans, unless clearly stated otherwise.

MASTHEAD * MASTHEAD *

MASTHEAD * MASTHEAD *

MASTHEAD * MASTHEAD * MASTHEAD * MASTHEAD *

Faith Palermo

Faith Palermo (she/her) is a writer from Eastern Massachusetts. She received her MFA in Creative Writing with a specialization in Nonfiction from George Mason University, where she was the Nonfiction Editor at Phoebe Journal. She reads for CRAFT Literary, Phoebe, and Off Season Mag. Her ekphrasis can be found in The Rumpus, Brink, Hayden’s Ferry Review, and New Delta Review. More broadly, her work has also been featured in The Offing, Puerto del Sol, Mulberry Literary, and other journals. A full list can be found on her website: www.faithpalermo.com. 

Faith is currently working on a book of lyric nonfiction that interrogates the cultural, scientific, and historical context of international nuclear disasters.

Elena Macdonald

Elena Macdonald (they/she) is a lesbian writer from Northern Virginia. They are a co-editor for Aftertouch Magazine. Elena reads for Phoebe Journal, In Short: A Journal of Flash Nonfiction,Off Season Mag, and Stillhouse Press. They received their MFA & BFA in Creative Writing from GMU. Their work has been featured in The Ekphrastic Review, Kitchen Table Quarterly, and Silly Goose Press. You can find more about Elena’s work at www.elenamacdonald.com.

Elena is currently working on miscellaneous poems and a book-length essay about Felix Gonzalez-Torres, art, and their queer identity.

  • Faith: Fontaines DC, Käärijä, Ashnikko, Lambrini Girls, Bob Vylan, Gabber (genre), MCR-T, Wet Leg, Gespuys, Lola Young, Hyphen, Otyken, Chumbawumba, Triple J Like a Version series

    Elena: Hayley Williams, Paramore, Power Snatch, CMAT, Mannequin Pussy, Clairo, Arlo Parks, Magdalena Bay

  • Faith: Edna Andrade, Bjørn Nørgaard, Ismar Cirkinagic, Lulu Lin, Josef Albers, Yves Klein, Helen Chadwick

    Elena: Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Jenny Holtzer, “Carnival Mask, Green, Violet, and Pink (Columbine) (1950)” by Max Beckmann

  • Faith: The Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth from the Margins by Zoë Bossiere and Erica Trabold, Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer, The Hotel by Sophie Calle, Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky, Reality Hunger by David Shields, Sbrang Gabba Gang! Ricostruzione Gabber Dell’Universo (A Gabber Reconstruction of  the Universe) by Riccardo Balli, Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster, Want by Gillian Anderson, Pain Studies by Lisa Olstein

    Elena: Alex Marzano-Lesnevitch, Maggie Nelson, Carmen Maria Machado, Amanda Montell, Hanif Abdurraqib, Melissa Febos, Sophie Calle, Jen Percy, A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause by Shawn Wen, The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch, Little Weirds by Jenny Slate, Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

  • Faith: Milkman by Anna Burns, The Employees by Olga Ravn, The Metamorphoses by Frans Kafka, Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E Kirby, The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey, Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, Here by Richard McGuire, Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi, Weather by Jenny Offill, We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirely Jackson

    Elena: Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, Good Girl by Aria Aber, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, Big Swiss by Jen Beagin, Kristen Arnett, Emily Austin

  • Elena: Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Rob Macaisa Colgate, Richard Siken, Kim Hyesoon, Don Mee Choi, Wisława Szymborska, Solmaz Sharif, Song of Gray by Asha Futterman, frank: sonnets by Diane Seuss, What good does it do for a person to wake up one morning this side of the millennium by Kim Simonsen, translated from the Faroese by Randi Ward, Black Bell by Alison C. Rollins, The Wild Iris by Louise Glück, What Good is Heaven by Raye Hendrix, “The Orange” by Wendy Cope

  • Faith: Pom Poko (1994) directed by Isao Takahata, Mirotvorac (Peacemaker) (2025) directed by Ivan Ramljak, Les glaneurs et la glaneuse (The Gleaners and I) (2000) directed by Agnès Varda, House M.D (2004-2012) directed by David Shore

    Elena: Chef (2014), Ratatouille (2007), Whip It (2009), Moonstruck (1987), Sorry to Bother You (2018), Whiplash (2014), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Sinners (2025), I Love Boosters (2026)

What We’re Into