"Lit Mags are Absolutely Magic." A Chat with Christopher Boucher, Editor of Post Road
"A general force for good."
Ahoy and TGIF! I come to kick off your weekend with a new editor interview, freshly wrapped.
Today I had the pleasure of chatting with Christopher Boucher, Editor of Post Road.
Post Road was founded in New York City in 1999 by Jaime Clarke and David Ryan with the following core editors: Rebecca Boyd, Susan Breen, Hillary Chute, Mark Conway, Pete Hausler, Kristina Lucenko (1999-2003), Anne McCarty and Michael Rosovsky.
Chris joined the magazine in 2010 shortly after joining the faculty of Boston College, where the magazine is based. As Managing Editor he works with volunteer readers, undergraduate readers, interns and fellow editors to select works for publication.
Many writers get nervous when they learn that first readers are undergraduates and might favor work that skews young. Today Chris assured us that there is an in-depth training process that student readers go through and Post Road seeks to publish a variety of voices and viewpoints in every issue. Initial readers give a thumbs up, thumbs down, or thumbs middle before work gets passed along to editors. All work is read with care. “Everything gets read many times.”
Each issue features a mix of work from the general submissions queue and work solicited by the editors. For issue number 42, which we read as part of our Lit Mag Reading Club, Chris solicited a Guest Folio from Gunnhild Øyehaug, a Norwegian essayist and fiction writer.
The idea of soliciting work is to broaden the scope of what the journal publishes and to bring in writers who might not otherwise find their way to the magazine. As Editor, Chris’s goal is to put “great work out into the world.” He enjoys showcasing a range of voices, and in fact regards this range as one of Post Road’s most exciting qualities. “It very much is a mix.”
Solicited work does not, however, take opportunities away from other writers. There are “no limits on space” here. Chris said they’ve published issues 300 pages long and issues half that length. They’ve never turned away writers due to space.
So, then, what is it these editors are looking for in submissions? Engagement, character, “voice of the story,” narrative spine and “a driving force.” They are open to many styles, from traditional to experimental so long as it speaks to essential human experience. They want to see “as many different voices as we can.”
In terms of what the journal would like more of, Chris said they’d love more nonfiction and theater. Yes, the journal publishes drama and wants more of it!
Also, they are open to working with anyone interested in becoming a volunteer reader. You can contact them here if interested.
What else makes this magazine unique? What do they specifically look for in a short story? What do they see too much of in submissions that the magazine definitely does not focus on?
For all that and more, dear ones, you will have to tune in!
Post Road publishes fiction, nonfiction, theater and poetry, in print and partly online. Their current reading period ends at midnight on March 31st!
To everyone who came out today, thank you for showing up! Your faces are the sweet good songs sending me swinging into the weekend.
And, of course, thank you to Chris for taking the time to take us behind the scenes of another lovely little lit mag.
Happy viewing!
This video is for members of our Lit Mag Reading Club. Anyone can join the club any time by becoming a paying subscriber to Lit Mag News. Your financial support allows me to do this work and is always appreciated!