"Profundity and Play." A Chat with the Editors of Hunger Mountain
"We take every submission very seriously."
Hello! I come with news of another editor interview, freshly in the books!
Today I had the pleasure of chatting with Adam McOmber, Chachi Hauser, Myrth Killingsworth, Montserrat Carty, Jamie Li, and Brie Goumaz, Editors of Hunger Mountain.
Hunger Mountain was started in 2002 by founding editor Caroline Mercurio Spitzer through a generous donation from a Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing alumnx. The journal has since thrived with the assistance of MFA in Writing faculty and ongoing support from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, VCFA alumnx, subscribers and friends…
…We value vulnerability, adventure, and accessibility. Our student readers are the future of the literary world, and all of us take great pride in discovering new voices, as well as publishing the freshest work from established artists.
Today’s conversation was part of our Lit Mag Reading Club, in which we read issue 30, summer 2024. This issue is filled with a diverse array of works, including intimate personal essays, essays that weave in literary criticism, flash fiction, epistolary fiction, humor, poetry tied to current events, an essay written in the form of Bible verses, an essay in the form of a hopscotch board, fictionalized conversations with Chat GPT, and much more.
Hunger Mountain operates out of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA program. The editorial team is made up of student-readers who are the first eyes on every submission, as well as genre editors who make final decisions.
When people hear “student editors,” they tend to think young or maybe inexperienced. VCFA’s MFA program, however, is a low-residency program that attracts all kinds of students. Thus this journal’s readers range in age, background, knowledge and interest.
What do these readers and editors like to see stylistically? The editors today spoke about wanting to be grabbed by something, to feel the work’s “authenticity,” as well as emotional connection, vulnerability, “intellectual intensity” and “playfulness.” “We love experimental work.” But they also love traditional character-driven pieces. All submissions are read with care. “We take every submission seriously.”
In fiction, Editor-in-Chief and Fiction Editor Adam McComber said he has a penchant for “things that look different on the page,” such as work that plays with white space. He loves a range of styles, though, including speculative, flash, sci-fi, and simply “the well-made story.”
In nonfiction, Chachi Hauser said she especially loves work that “resists genre.” Indeed, some of the nonfiction in issue 30 could also be classified as hybrid. What is “hybrid” anyway? Myrth Killingsworth, the Hybrid Editor, described hybrid as work that is “beyond genre” or “genre-less,” work that resists easy classification and labels.
Montserrat Carty, the Interviews Editor, shared with us how she chooses interview subjects and interviewers. She is always interested in pitches. If you would like to do an interview or if you would like to be interviewed, you can reach her directly at montserrat.carty@vcfa.edu.
Another fun insight was hearing these editors talk about titles. Oddly enough, this has not come up in other interviews. But yes! Editors do scan the Submittable queue and look for intriguing or interesting titles. So, writers, mind your titles! (And check out this session, if you need title help.)
What other advice did these editors have for submitting writers? What kind of work are they actively seeking more of? What should writers consider when writing about current events? What are common pitfalls these editors see in submissions, and what are a few final steps a writer might want to take before hitting Send to this mag?
For all that and more, dear pals, you will have to tune in!
This one is for members of our Lit Mag Reading Club only. You can join the Club any time by signing up to be a paid subscriber to Lit Mag News. A subscription also gets you access to past videos as well as discounts on lit mags. Your support helps me do this work, and is truly appreciated!
Hunger Mountain publishes twice a year. They will re-open for submissions in mid-February.
To everyone who came out today, thank you for joining! Your faces are the sunshine warmth on these cold winter days!
And, of course, thank you to Adam, Chachi, Myrth, Montserrat, Jamie, and Brie for taking us behind the scenes of another lovely little magazine!
Happy viewing!