Welcome to thecommononline.org

The Common makes its digital debut! We’re a new literary magazine based at Amherst College. Our mission is to publish literature and art that embody a modern sense of place.

We’re hip and old school, local and foreign, sensible and experimental. Everything you want in a lit mag. Did I mention we publish pictures? In addition to a hand-picked group of stories, essays, and poems by emerging and established writers, each issue will have a suite of four-color images—oddities from archives and new, swank stuff from galleries.

Prepare to be amazed at the quality and variety headed your way.

Sign up to receive our e-updates and we’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop, including how and when to subscribe and submit.

In the meantime, check out our sample issue. If you like what you see, become a charter subscriber and get the early-bird special on subscriptions for 2011.

Please note that our website is a work in progress. We’ll be making changes to the design and adding features in the coming months. Thanks for visiting and come back often!

Welcome to thecommononline.org

Related Posts

headshots of the authors reading at tc's festival of debut authors

Join us for the 2024 Festival of Debut Authors!

Join The Common's team on March 27th at 7pm for our 2024 Festival of Debut Authors, an evening devoted to emerging talents! This virtual celebration will highlight poets and prose writers Felice Belle, Jordan Escobar, Irina Hrinoschi, amika elfendi, Nina Perrotta and Shanna Tan. 

box with art on the inside

The Most-Read Pieces of 2023

As our new year of publishing and programming picks up speed, we at The Common wanted to reflect on the pieces that made last year such a great one! We published over 200 pieces online and in print in 2023. Below, you can browse a list of the six most-read pieces of 2023 to see which stories, essays, and poems left an impact on readers.