Lincoln Chipmunk

A brief history

The Lincoln Review was founded in 1977 by Ruth Hapgood, Nancy Bower, and Margaret Marsh “to provide residents and friends of the town of Lincoln with a small magazine or newsletter which will contain material of informational, educational, and literary interest.” Among its goals: “to bring back the history of the town to public awareness” and “to further literary ends by publishing good writing and by reviewing books; and in general, to provide a generally available means of public communication to further the cultural life of the town.”

Until spring 2019, the Lincoln Review was produced by longtime Lincoln residents Betty Smith and the late Harold Smith, assisted by friends and family. It was supported by advertising and subscriptions and was sold at retail locations in Lincoln including the Old Town Hall Exchange and Donelan’s. Its successor, the Lincoln Chipmunk, will gather and post the same sorts of items in full color every two or three months as part of the Lincoln Squirrel website starting in spring 2020.

The Squirrel is a paid subscription site, though anyone can read three articles per month for free. When you subscribe via credit card online or paper check, you’ll get an email on most weekdays with a link to everything that was posted in the preceding 24 hours. In addition to news and features, the Squirrel offers a calendar with Lincoln events and a list of local resources.

Who’s in charge?

Former Lincoln Review staffer Jeanne Bracken will edit prose pieces and Lincoln Squirrel editor/publisher Alice Waugh will load all submissions onto the Chipmunk section of the Squirrel website. Rhoda Taschioglou will help introduce the Chipmunk to the Lincoln community and solicit submissions.

Reading the Lincoln Chipmunk

Although it will look a bit different, the Lincoln Chipmunk is part of the Lincoln Squirrel website. But instead of having new stories and events posted on a near-daily basis, the Chipmunk will post a batch of submissions all at once every two or three months, just like the Lincoln Review did in print. Because the Squirrel is a subscription-based website, the Chipmunk will likewise be accessible only to subscribers. Click here to learn how to subscribe.

Submit your work

Email your submissions (or questions about submitting) to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com and note “Lincoln Chipmunk” in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and phone number. Here’s the kind of things what we’re looking for:

First-person essays on almost any topic — a compelling memory, a recent trip, a person or animal you’ve known, your predictions for the coming year, etc.
Nonfiction feature pieces about Lincoln history, nature, farms, architecture, etc.
Humor and satire
Short fiction
Poems
Profiles of interesting Lincoln residents (current, former, or deceased)
Book and movie reviews (especially by or about Lincoln authors/artists)
Original drawings and photographs

If you have something else in mind that doesn’t fall into one of these categories, just let us know. You can address questions and send items via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com or call Squirrel editor Alice Waugh at 617-710-5542.

Deadlines and article length

We’ll post notices in both the Squirrel and the Chipmunk sections about publication dates and deadline for upcoming issues. We’re hoping to have the first issue posted sometime in April 2020.

As a general rule, prose pieces should be no more than 1,000 words. If you want to write much longer than that, please clear it first with editor Jeanne Bracken (jmbracken@verizon.net) or publisher Alice Waugh (lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com). We’re also open to breaking up long pieces into segments and publishing them in successive issues.

Who can submit?

Submissions must be original work by Lincoln residents or their immediate family members, town employees, or others with a direct connection to the town, and they must include the submitter’s name and email address. Anonymous items will not be published.
All submissions are subject to selection and editing by the Lincoln Chipmunk staff, and publication is not guaranteed.

Subscribe to our Lincoln publications

If you’re not already a Lincoln Squirrel subscriber, click here to get started. Subscriptions to the Squirrel and Chipmunk are $54.00 a year (credit card via PayPal or check) or $4.50 a month (PayPal only). Questions? Email editor Alice Waugh at lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com or call 617-710-5542.