Important Update on March 2024 Poem

Split Lip Magazine values artistic integrity and is committed to protecting the literary community against instances of plagiarism. On March 20, 2024, it was brought to our attention that the author of our March poem has a history of lifting content from other writers’ work without acknowledgement.

The credo of Split Lip Magazine is “Head down, keep writing, don’t be an asshole.” We firmly believe in transparent conversations about IP theft, poetic integrity, and dedication to our fellow writers. In a time when creative writing is sometimes devalued, we strive to champion authentic voices and honest artists.

We have not formally assessed this particular poem for plagiarism, but we cannot rule out the possibility of stolen work given the author’s pattern of past behavior. As such, we have chosen to remove “Monticello’s Mulberry Row” from our March issue. This is a step we do not take lightly, but it is one we strongly stand by. We will never knowingly offer a home to the work of someone who engages in plagiarism, and it is our longstanding policy to remove plagiarized work from our site immediately.

We will be reviewing our acceptance process to better screen for instances of plagiarism in the future. Split Lip Magazine is grateful for those who speak out against issues of plagiarism in the writing world. We thank you for your patience and support, and we apologize for any inconvenience or harm caused by our publication of this poem.