The first issue: a blank slate; the start of a literary adventure. Through Sappho’s Garden, we hope to provide a voice to minority artists and establish our roots in the literary community. So, what better theme for our inaugural issue than “roots.”

The word roots, from the Old Norse rót, means origins, both spiritual and cultural. It can also refer to the roots of a plant or mathematical values (gross, I know). What we’re trying to say is, the word roots can have many meanings, but we want to know what the word means to you.

Whether it’s through an essay, a poem, or a short work of fiction, we want to hear what you think of when you hear the word roots. For full guidelines, visit this page. We’ll be accepting submissions through the end of April for the June issue.