I'm Dreaming of a Lit Mag Christmas!
Sycamore Review in peril; Entropy Magazine closes; Pushcart Prize rankings; job opening at North Carolina Literary Review; dozens of markets for your work, and more
Greetings Lit Magdeliers,
A long-standing lit mag is in peril. As reported,
Purdue University is forcing a graduate admissions moratorium on the English department for one year, and graduate cohort sizes face a significant reduction when admissions resume…Affected professors say that’s a deliberate distortion of the facts, and that what’s happening with the budget is part of a longer-term effort to strangle successful English programs into submission—maybe even servitude to the science and engineering disciplines for which Purdue is best known.
This will affect the MFA program at Purdue and its literary magazine, Sycamore Review. The editors has put out the following statement:
Meanwhile, Entropy has recently announced its closing.
Editor Janice Lee has written,
The decision I announce here today does not come lightly. I’ve had numerous conversations with many editors and friends, and I have carefully considered other scenarios and options. There has been much careful deliberation and consideration of both emotional and physical labor, costs, technical logistics, alternate realities, mental health, other possible options, general exhaustion and other impacts of the events of the past two years. Though this announcement may come as a surprise to some, for many of us working behind-the-scenes and for many who have seen both the tangible and intangible affects of the ongoing pandemic, this is also a way to honor life and creation through legacy, not just prolongation.
In other news, it would seem that I have failed you all in my role as purveyor of all the news in lit mags. How so? Well, LitHub has done a roundup of The Biggest Literary Stories of the Year. First among those regards a poem that was published at 3:AM Magazine last summer, about New Yorker writer and author Jia Tolentino. The poem stirred up some controversy and I missed the whole thing entirely. Sorry I never shared news of this, friends! (Also, though, you’re welcome?) You can now catch some of the reactions to the poem here.
Speaking of roundups, here we go:
Here is a list of 16 Literary Magazines Accepting New Writers - Paying markets
Here is a Mega-List of Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines - Paying markets. (From May, but still relevant.)
Here is A student’s guide to creative undergraduate journals at UBC [University of British Columbia]
Here are 39 Themed Calls for Submissions for December 2021
And here is the wonderful Pushcart Prize Ranking from the indefatigable Clifford Garstang. In case you don’t know, Clifford does a roundup of all the lit mags whose work appeared in the Pushcart Prize anthology the previous year. This list is a must-use for writers trying to determine where to submit their work.
If it is gainful employ you seek, North Carolina Literary Review is seeking a Managing Editor. The ideal candidate should have “This is a part-time position, 20-30 hours per week, funded in part by a North Carolina Arts Council grant. This is an in-person position on the East Carolina University campus.”
Or if you’re thinking about becoming a reader for a lit mag, Lyndsie Manusos explains why that’s a great idea. “I had the great privilege of reading for two literary magazines in the past — The Missouri Review and The Masters Review — and both experiences proved invaluable to me as a reader and writer. It opened up my eyes to the blood, sweat, and tears that editors and readers put into these small but mighty publications.”
Finally, some updates from yours truly: I’ve interviewed some lovely editors in recent weeks. In case you’ve missed it, visit the site to catch up on conversations with the good folks of Dilettante Army, Orca Journal, Oakwood Magazine and TriQuarterly.
There will also be another Submissions Q & A Session this Friday, December 17th at 2pm est. This will be for paying subscribers only. So if you would like to attend, be sure to sign up! The registration link will be sent out separately.
Also, I’m hiring! I am seeking an Assistant to help me with marketing and outreach. And I am seeking writers to help me produce content. Learn more here. Please share with anyone who you think will be interested.
And that you pounders of pavements, everywhere pulling your purse strings for the purchase of presents big and small, you walkers through the winter wonderlands or perhaps just the aisles of Walmart, you who are wondering what to get or working on what on Earth to make, you with tinsel in your toes and a twinkle in your nosehairs, you who will light lights and hum hymns and you who will do little more than dot the tippy top of your spine with an angel, you for whom the holiday season brings joy, you for whom the holiday season brings madness, you who forgot to remember it and you sliding down that chimney in your parachute, you, everywhere, in all forms of glory, in all phases of hallelujah, in all your utter entirety, beautiful and whole, is the news in literary magazines.
Have a magical time, pals.
Fondly,
Becky
P.S. There will be no newsletter the week after next, due to the holidays. I’ll be back in early January with all the lit mag news fit to print. Be well! Be safe! Be wild! Write your very merry hearts out!
Becky. You are doing great work. Could there be too many MFA programs?
You are hilarious, Becky, and i love you and cherish your work. Thank you from everyone out here.