Connective Tissue

Actively Seeking Submissions for Publication:

Deadline: January 5, 2025 by 11:59 PM CST

Submit your original poems, prose, art or photography to be considered for publication at: Connective Tissue Submission Google Form

This year, we pay homage to the age-old tradition of gathering around the hearth, where stories pass from one generation to the next, each thread woven with memories, wisdom, and emotion. The hearth symbolizes not just the literal warmth of a fire but family, community, and identity; a place where personal histories and collective experiences meet to nourish the soul. The hearth also parallels the compassion and healing found in healthcare environments: just as stories shared by the fire offer comfort and connection, the narratives of patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers form the heart of clinical practice. It is where shared stories — of illness, recovery, and resilience — create bonds, offer solace, and bring light to even the most difficult moments.

 

Submission Categories

  • Literature
    • prose, poetry, essays, interviews, memoirs, narratives, short stories
  • 55-Word Story
    • must be exactly 55 words, may be fiction or non-fiction
  • Visual Art
    • painting, illustration, sculpture, mixed media
  • Photography

Submission Guidelines

  • Please submit each piece separately with one form per piece (e.g. if you’d like to submit a photograph and an essay, submit this form twice)
  • Each submission must be an original product of your own creativity and imagination*
  • We encourage submitting pieces related to the theme  From the Hearth, but this is not a prerequisite
  • Written work must be fewer than 2,000 words, and exactly 55 words for the 55-Word Story category
  • Written work must be submitted as a Word document, and visual art must be submitted as a .jpg
  • This year, we are welcoming music submissions for our journal! Composers can submit their recordings as .mp3 or .mp4 files, and/or may submit visual sheet music compositions as .pdf, if applicable.
  • Multiple submissions are welcome, with up to three submissions per person per category

*With the launch of freely accessible AI systems, we recognize that new questions have arisen regarding original content and AI-generated content. This year, the editors-in chief do not want to restrict the use of AI in making art. However, we request that you disclose how you used AI in creating your submission if AI was involved at the very bottom of the form (electronic signature line).

About the Journal

Since 2008, Connective Tissue has played an important role in cultivating arts and humanities at the UT Health San Antonio. Complimentary copies of the current issue are available in the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, located on the 4th floor of the Briscoe Library, room 4.042.

Special thanks to the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics and the many donors who make this student-led publication possible.

2024-2025 Editorial Staff

  • Sana Suhail (Co-Editor-in-Chief)
  • Stephanie Batch (Co-Editor-in-Chief)

Faculty Advisor

  • Rachel Pearson, M.D., Ph.D.


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