O:JA&L Editors Advice
A Guide for Submitters
Definitions at O:JA&L: Experimental Discourse (XP)
Experimental discourse is discourse that refuses to stay within the boundaries laid out either by traditional realistic literary fiction and nonfiction or by the standard genres of thriller, mystery, sci-fi, romance and so forth. Experimental discourse as understood by the O:JA&L editorial team is non-escapist literature in that it does not seek to seduce its readers into a dreamy forgetfulness or into a vicarious participation in the presented narrative. It is discourse, instead, that often unsettles, that makes one feel uncomfortable or liberated, because it breaks rules and invents new ones. Ideologically, it undermines the common conceptual categories by which we understand and navigate the world; it rejects the normal rhetoric of how we describe things.
From this evocative and accurate description, we see that experimental fiction essentially functions as a “laboratory” for storytelling, prioritizing form over content to investigate how we perceive reality. By dismantling the “fictional dream,” it forces a self-aware engagement that is often deeply non-escapist.
Consider the following core ways this genre unsettles and liberates the reader:
- Breaking the “Fictional Dream”
Unlike commercial fiction, which aims for a seamless immersion into a story, experimental works often employ metafiction—the technique of a writer “popping in” to comment on the writing process itself.
- Effect: This shatters the illusion of a self-contained world and forces you to remain present in the prose rather than getting lost in a character’s life.
- Example: John Barth’s The Book of Ten Nights and a Night features a narrator and muse who mock the author, deliberately calling attention to the artificiality of the text.
- Radical Structural Innovation
Experimental fiction rejects the traditional Freytag’s Pyramid (exposition, climax, resolution). Instead, it might use:
- Unconventional Formats: Using maps, recipes, or crossword puzzles to tell a story.
- Visual Layering: Altering font sizes, leaving massive white spaces, or including photography to dictate the pace of reading.
- Non-linear Time: Fragmenting the narrative so it reflects the chaotic way human memory actually functions rather than a tidy chronological line.
- Undermining Conceptual Categories
By rejecting “normal rhetoric,” these works challenge the very categories we use to navigate life:
- Personhood: Authors like Ben Marcus may use established words but apply entirely new, alien meanings to them, forcing you to relearn how to “read” the world.
- The “Reliable” Self: The frequent use of unreliable narrators or multiple, conflicting perspectives suggests that “truth” is subjective rather than absolute.
- Linguistic Lipograms: Some works, like Ernest Vincent Wright’s Gadsby, are written entirely without the letter “e,” proving that even the alphabet is a boundary that can be broken.
Warwick J.P. Newnham is a significant figure in contemporary experimental discourse, particularly within the Australian literary scene. He famously championed the idea that experimental writing should “teach you how to read it” as you progress through the text.
His work and influence are defined by:
- Editorial Leadership: He serves as the Senior Editor for Experimental Discourse at the OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), where he curates portfolios of innovative and “unsettling” fiction.
- Award-Winning Non-fiction: He won the 2016 The Lifted Brow Experimental Non-fiction Prize, a prestigious award for work that blurs the lines between fact, essay, and creative prose.
- Merry-Crack-MaSS: One of his most accessible experimental works is the pocket-book Merry-crack-mass (published by InShort Publishing). It is described as a morality text that subverts traditional narratives of guilt and atonement, often featuring sailors and anti-heroes in a ritualized, gritty world.
- Philosophical Roots: His writing style is often compared to the “pure consciousness” of authors like J.G. Ballard or William Burroughs. He frequently explores themes of maritime life and global displacement, drawing on his 25 years as a deckhand and master in the Northern Prawn Fishery.
The “Experimental Discourse” (XP) series, curated and edited by Warwick J.P. Newnham for the OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L), is a dedicated platform for fiction and nonfiction that actively resists conventional storytelling.
Newnham’s vision for the series is built on several radical principles:
- Subverting Power Structures: Newnham views experimental discourse as a political tool. He argues that it serves to carve out space for alternate voices that are unconfined by the status quo or institutional conservatism.
- A “Manual for Reading”: The series champions works that “teach” the reader how to interpret them. Rather than using familiar tropes, the prose forces the reader to abandon their routines and engage with the world in entirely new ways.
- The “Tranche de Vie” (Slice of Life) Theme: A notable recurring focus in the series (especially in 2020) was exploring the fragmentary nature of existence. This included works like Verena Mahlow’s “Good-bye, Shoes“, which uses double-flash fiction to capture fleeting moments of transition.
- Breadth of Form: The series is not limited to a single style. It includes:
- XP Fiction: Short stories (typically up to 2,000 words) that experiment with temporal and spatial structures.
- XP Nonfiction: Personal essays and memoirs that use innovative prose to explore the “internal landscape” of the author.
- Chapbooks & Broadsides: Through Buttonhook Press, the series extends into longer formats and mixed-media experiments, such as Nelson Lowhim’s “Werewolf in Paris”.
As a writer of XP, you might be interested to know that O:JA&L currently has open calls for XP fiction, for XP nonfiction, and for experimental chapbooks. Follow the links below for more information.
Chapbook Call:
Image: Answer Key (AI-assisted digital image) by O:JA&L staff creative. 2025. Public domain via Midjourney AI.
OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprints Buttonhook Press, HOT BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Issues, and HIGH BUTTON PRESS Contemporary Art, supports writers and artists worldwide.
O:JA&L’S BUTTONHOOK PRESS MASTERS SERIES
Click on the titles below to explore or download the free PDF chapbooks in the O:JA&L Masters Series.
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Brian Clements on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Mark Budman on Flash Discourse
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Ray Gonzalez on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Michael Martone on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Roberta Allen on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Master Series: Peter Conners on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Maxine Chernoff on Prose Poetry
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Pedro Ponce on Flash Fiction
With an Interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Tom Hazuka on Flash Fiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
The Buttonhook Press Masters Series: Kent Dixon on Flash Fiction & Nonfiction
With an interview by Associate Editor Pamelyn Casto
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