"I Read it All." A Chat With Richard Peabody, Editor of Gargoyle Magazine

Editor of 500-page lit mag peels back the curtain for a behind the scenes look

Another editor interview has just wrapped, friends.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Peabody, Editor of Gargoyle Magazine.

This was one of the more candid interviews I’ve had so far. Richard shared some of the problems he is facing with the journal’s production, due to current global supply chain issues and backed-up paper supply. He has two issues ready to go, both about 500 pages long. The first issue was scheduled to come out in October, but he is not sure that will happen.

Related to this, we talked about editor burnout. How do editors keep going when there is so much behind-the-scenes work to tend to? How do editors find the time and funds and sustain their labors of love over the long haul? And how might writers benefit from a greater understanding of what’s really going on behind the scenes at lit mags, particularly at this moment of multiple global crises?

We also talked about the history of Gargoyle, which was founded in 1976. We discussed how to make sense of lit mag rankings, why they do and do not matter, and some of the cool and unexpected people who have appeared in Gargoyle’s pages such as Richard Hell and Nick Cave.

Gargoyle publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art. The magazine will be open for submissions again in June 2022.

Also, they always want to hear from people who would like to get involved reading submissions. If you are interested, just send Richard an email saying you would like to be a submissions reader. rchrdpeabody9@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who came out to participate today! And thank you so much to Richard for taking the time to give us this heartfelt and enlightening glimpse behind the curtain of another great lit mag.

Happy viewing, everyone!

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