In Honor of Short Story Month, Litmags

In honor of short story month (May), I wanted to showcase some literary magazines that have made a difference in my career.  Check them out, read a story or two, buy an issue, and support them however you can.  They’re damn fine, you know.

• South Dakota Review ~ Established in 1963, South Dakota Review is a national literary, scholarly journal for an educated and often professional audience. SDR contains works having a slight western regional emphasis, although selection is based primarily on the quality of the work rather than on subject matter. New, established, and emerging writers appear in each issue; most accepted work, however, is that of writers of considerable experience and ability. (Sample issues here.)

• New West ~ New West is a digital guide to news, analysis, and culture for the Rocky Mountain region. Based in Missoula, Montana, and Boulder, Colorado, the company’s network of writers and editors cover Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. The award-winning new media publication specializes in stories and ideas about the evolving West. Its focus areas include wildlife, energy, politics, development and the innovators that make the Rockies a frontier for technology and entrepreneurship. New West also documents the literature, photography, film, outdoor recreation and local food movement that define the region’s vibrant culture in the 21st century. (I was so sad because this vital regional online mag had decided to call it quits, but I am so stoked to see they’ll soon be up and running again!)

• Talking River ~ Talking River, Lewis-Clark State College’s literary journal, seeks examples of literary excellence and originality. Theme may and must be of your choosing. Send us your manuscripts of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. The journal is a national publication, featuring creative work by some of this country’s best contemporary writers. Talking River is published biannually by the Associated Students of Lewis-Clark State College. (Alas, they don’t have anything online.)

• Imitation Fruit ~ This (10th) issue marks the journal's fifth birthday and we are set to celebrate. Over the years the journal has grown in many ways. For each new issue there are more and more great stories and poems to read and new artwork to view. The journal has also grown in readership as new readers find out about the journal through word of mouth and other websites. With each new issue a lot of hard work and dedication is put into the journal from its contributors and the editorial team. Now is the time to look back and see that we have come a long way as a journal and it is time to celebrate in the fact that we have been successful in bringing quality content to readers to enjoy.

• Georgetown Review ~ We’ve published stories by PEN/Faulkner Award nominee Frederick Barthelme, National Book Award finalist Stephen Dixon, Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction winner Andrew Plattner. We’ve published poems by Fred Chappell, David Citino, Denise Duhamel, David Allan Evans, Mark Halperin, James Harms, X.J. Kennedy, and David Romtvedt. However, in addition to all this well-known talent, we’ve also given many writers their first publication. Our magazine is a collaboration between English faculty at Georgetown College and undergrads who learn the editing business as they go and who always amaze their elders with their dedication and first-rate work.

• Fried Chicken and Coffee ~ A blogazine of rural literature, working-class literature, Appalachian literature, and off-on commentary, reviews, rants. This online zine is published by the great Rusty Barnes.

• SNReview ~ From the editor Joseph Conlin:  I always wished to recreate those moments. I tried for years in magazine journalism. Then I "retired" for fiction. I wrote and wrote. I' published. I' talked with writers. I' read their work. I've admired some of it. I wanted more outlets for writers whose work I admired. It never seemed possible until I understood the concept of file transfer protocol sites. Suddenly an ezine was possible. I have been at it since 1999. Our format has changed over that time. Our viewership has increased annually.

• roger ~ roger contributes to the tradition of literary journals by publishing fresh and energetic poetry and prose by established and emerging writers, both nationally and internationally. Recently published writers include Andrea Holland, Ann Hood, Cecilia Woloch, Dawn Potter, Denise Duhamel, Gabriel Spera, Genine Lentine, Joseph Hurka, K. A. Hays, Leigh Anne Couch, Maura Stanton, Michael Gizzi, Nance Van Winckel, Paul Guest, Rick Campbell, Steve Almond, Steven Church, Stuart Dischell, Tom Chandler, and Travis Mulhauser. roger is currently published annually by the Department of Creative Writing at Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island.

• Word Riot ~ Word Riot publishes the forceful voices of up-and-coming writers and poets. We like edgy. We like challenging. We like unique voices. Word Riot first opened shop in March 2002 as the literary section of a now defunct on-line music magazine, Communication Breakdown. Each month we provide readers with book reviews, author interviews, and, most importantly, writing from some of the best and brightest making waves on the literary scene.

• Ramble Underground ~ Our goal is to showcase quality Fiction Short Stories on a quarterly basis without being too uptight about it. We at Ramble Underground believe that art begins beneath the surface. It's not hanging on the walls of rich folks' houses or written within the bounds of proper storytelling and literary etiquette. Underground was founded as a forum for unknown and established artists. To give voice and vision to things uttered behind closed doors or buried, like dog bones, in the yard.

• Slow Trains ~ Slow Trains exists as a celebration of great writing, with an emphasis on fiction, essays, and poetry that reflect the spirit of adventure, the exploration of the soul, the energies of imagination, and the experience of Big Fun. Music, travel, sex, humor, love, loss, art, spirituality, childhood/coming of age, baseball, and dreams -- these are a few of our favorite things -- but most of all we are here to share the ideas, the memories, and the visions that our writers are most passionate about. Slow Trains is published quarterly near the seasonal changes (approximately March, June, September, and December), with the Slow Trains blog, Rave On: Postcards from Slow Trains updated on a regular basis.

• Prick of the Spindle ~ Prick of the Spindle was begun in March 2007 in the spirit of creating a journal whose contribution to the literary arts would be well-rounded, with an acknowledgement to the works of literary history. It is the goal of the journal both to recognize new talent and to include those who have a foot planted in the writing community; we are simply looking for well-written, interesting pieces that embrace the fabric of diverse voices who have something to say, say it well, and say it originally.

So let’s give a hallelujah for all those hard-working litmag editors out there. Give ‘em a hand, give ‘em your attention, send ‘em your work, and support them however you can.