"The Politics of Care." A Chat With Luiza Flynn-Goodlett, Editor of Foglifter

Editor of lit mag by and for LGBTQ+ writers takes us behind the scenes

My darlings,

Allow me a confession: I get extremely nervous before each of these interviews. Why? I’m not sure exactly. Something about the preparation and the checking all my equipment and fluffing up my hair and thinking about viewers and the pressure of a live video recording, and all the jittery so-ons and so-forths.

However, once the interviews begin, all that flies out the window. Can I just say? Lit mag editors are SO. NICE. At least the ones I have been talking to of late. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know them as well.

This, dear friends, is all my rambling way of telling you about Luiza Flynn-Goodlett, with whom I had the wonderful joy of speaking today. Luiza is the Editor-in-Chief of Foglifter, a journal “created by and for LGBTQ+ writers and readers,” and which “features the widest possible range of forms, with an emphasis on transgressive, risky, challenging subject matter, innovative formal choices, and work that pushes the boundaries of what writing can do .”

Luiza and I discussed the origins of her magazine, which began in 2016, as a way to create space for writers who might not have felt free to express themselves in other venues. Foglifter Press, technically a nonprofit, publishes the print journal, hosts readings and publishes chapbooks.

Discussing their editorial process led to a wee digression (but oh an interesting one!) about Submittable, and what it’s like for editors to work with this software. I had no idea about the technical details on the other end of the stuff we send editors to read, so this was illuminating.

It was also wonderfully clear that this is a journal where the editors treat every manuscript with great care and thoughtfulness.

Foglifter will open for submissions again in September. Submissions are always free. If you want to get more involved with this journal, be on the lookout for openings for editorial positions in the fall.

And now, please enjoy my conversation with Luiza!

This will be available to everyone for a limited time. After that, it the recording will remain available on this site, but for subscribers only. To become a subscriber and have full access to the entire archive of interviews, just click below.

And as always, questions, comments, observations, suggestions, stream-of-conscious dream-state epiphanies? Let me know what you think!