In the modern literary landscape, the act of submitting one’s work can often feel like launching a message in a bottle into an indifferent, uncharted ocean. For the contemporary writer—particularly those navigating the margins of the Black and Haitian American diaspora—the mailbox becomes a site of quiet, vulnerable siege. Too often, our earnest inquiries vanish into an abyss of systemic non-responsiveness, our unique cultural rhythms rejected by rigid Eurocentric gatekeepers who demand that writers of color perform a narrow, curated script of trauma to be deemed “authentic.”

Yet, every so often, an editor’s response arrives not as a cold, automated rejection, but as a lifeline of radical hospitality.

For me, that lifeline materialized as an enthusiastic invitation from Synchronized Chaos and its Editor-in-Chief, Cristina Deptula. Upending the transactional coldness so prevalent in publishing, Cristina extended a level of professional courtesy and profound human respect that I had rarely been afforded elsewhere. In an industry where marginalized voices are routinely rendered invisible by silence, she established a rare and sacred sanctuary—proving that my voice was not just heard, but deeply valued.

To be welcomed into this literary home was to experience a profound artistic renaissance. Synchronized Chaos did not just publish my words; it granted me the sacred room to experiment, to falter, to stretch, and to “play around” with the very boundaries of my craft. This uninhibited freedom awakened a deep, dormant nostalgia within me, mirroring the foundational days of my youth under my high school writing coach, Mr. Powers, who fiercely protected and fueled my creative fire. In the pages of Synchronized Chaos, that protective flame was lit once more, expanding into a boundless sandbox of global genius entirely devoid of rigid walls.

Beyond serving as a canvas for my voice, this digital ecosystem became a gateway to international resonance. It was through the journal’s curated avenues that I found the path to becoming the Recipient of the prestigious International Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity (2026), alongside contributing poetry to La Fenêtre De Paris. Today, my words no longer occupy a lonely margin; instead, through this online model, my Haitian American identity exists in a beautiful, borderless dialogue with poets, essayists, and critics from Greece, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan.

This living blueprint for equitable publication has culminated in our panel selection for the 60th Anniversary AWP Conference & Bookfair (#AWP27) in Chicago, titled “International Collaboration and More Equitable Publication in Online Lit Mags.”

The conference will take place from March 17–20, 2027, at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago, IL. Because this is an accepted, pre-recorded virtual event, the panel’s video will be available to stream on-demand for one month following the conference.

By de-centering the Western canon and utilizing digital spaces to bypass traditional colonial gatekeepers, we are proving that true equity happens when a publication expands its mold to fit the writer, rather than forcing the writer to dilute their culture. Finding refuge in Synchronized Chaos is a transformative gift—one that turns a yielding heart into a global symphony, and one I proudly pass forward so the rest of the world may fly.

 Jacques Fleury is a Haitian American poet, novelist, educator, essayist, arts critic, author, and Harvard University literary arts scholar whose internationally published voice spans continents. The recipient of the 2026 International Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity—chosen from over 4100 global competitors from 83 countries—he holds prestigious memberships in France’s La Fenêtre de Paris and Lebanon’s Maison Naaman pour la Culture. His celebrated books, among them his opus Chain Letter To America: The One Thing You Can Do To End Racism… is held globally from Massachusetts libraries to the UK’s Askews and Holts, and historic sanctuaries like the Harvard Bookstore & Grolier Poetry Book Shop. Discover more of his Boston Globe-featured work at Authorsden/JacquesFleury.—