What is Penumbra ONline?

​Penumbra (pi-num 'bre): n. 1. A partial shadow, as in an eclipse, between regions of complete shadow and complete illumination. 2. The partly darkened fringe around a sunspot. 3. An outlying, surrounding region; periphery; fringe.

Penumbra Online is the online counterpart to Penumbra Literary and Art Magazine of Stanislaus State University. ​Penumbra has been Stanislaus State's literary magazine for over 30 years, publishing works on the fringes or "penumbra" of the literary world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Penumbra decided to expand online during the summer and fall seasons, giving birth to what is now known as Penumbra Online. Penumbra Online produces two virtual editions during the year, roughly around August and December respectively. Our summer calls for submissions are typically open around late May to early June, and our fall calls for submissions open roughly around late August to early September. At Penumbra Online, we do our best to provide resources and connect with our literary community, from blog posts, book clubs, interviews, writing workshops, podcast episodes, and more. Penumbra Online shares the same motivations and goals as Penumbra: we aim to supply opportunity for marginalized voices to be heard and amplified. 

Penumbra's Mission and Commitment to Anti-Racism

     ​The faculty and staff of Penumbra stand in unity with our Black communities, who have long been the victims of systemic racism, violence, and murder. We will not allow those assassinated by police brutality and white supremacy to be forgotten. We remember George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Emmett Till, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and so many others and call for fundamental changes in our local, state, and national governments to espouse equality for all people. We are outraged by the police brutality our Black communities face and we support the efforts of protesters to reveal and rebuke the legacies of white supremacy from our core national ideologies.
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      Racist systems have long been present in the publishing industry and we are committed to breaking racist publishing processes and standards. We are dedicated to promoting, highlighting, and celebrating the work of Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian American, LGBTQIA+ writers and artists and all groups marginalized by systems of hate and oppression. We make this commitment today, tomorrow, and always to diversify our publications and uproot oppressive practices and ideologies that attempt to silence marginalized groups. Penumbra rejects those attempts at silencing and offers a space to amplify the voices of the oppressed.