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Pivot

Pivot: The Online Journal

Pivot is a hybrid academic and creative journal, published annually by members of York University's Graduate Program in English.

“Pivot,” according to the OED:

verb,

  1. intransitive. To turn on, or as if on, a pivot; figurative: to depend on, to hinge on.
  2. transitive. To provide with a pivot; to mount on, or attach by means of, a pivot or pivots; to hinge

noun,

  1. a short shaft or pin forming the centre on which a mechanism turns or oscillates,
  2. figurative: the crucial or central point of something; that on which everything depends

Pivot aims to embody all of these meanings. On the one hand, it pivots and shifts with the times, changing according to academic ebbs and flows in theory and fashion; on the other, it provides a centre around which other discourses, ideas, people, and works can revolve. Pivot is dedicated to lifting diverse voices and displaying a range of subjects prioritizing no period, genre or experience above another. Our goal is to promote innovative, creative and interdisciplinary thinking and to offer unique and exciting perspectives to our readership.

Despite having begun as a strictly academic journal, Pivot will showcase a variety of writing styles and genres including essays, reviews, fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry and multimodal work beginning with our 2022 issue, Somatic Cartography and Stories: Mapping Meaning onto the Body. We are serious about uplifting the voices of Graduate students and creating a safe space for students to gain inspiration, share their ideas and get connected with their peers. We host peer-review parties and collaborate with York's English Graduate Student Association.

Thank you for taking an interest in Pivot!

Learn More

The Graduate Program in English at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.