"We Want the Sentences." A Chat with Adam Berlin & Jeffrey Heiman, Editors of J Journal: New Writing on Justice

Editors of justice-themed online magazine take us behind the scenes

Hello again! I come with tidings of another editor interview, freshly in the books!

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Berlin and Jeffrey Heiman, Editors of J Journal: New Writing on Justice. From their site:

The journal began in 2008 as print-only and has since morphed to an online magazine. Adam and Jeffrey are both in the English department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. They launched the magazine as a way to tie the college’s interests to the literary world.

All submissions to J Journal go directly to Adam and Jeffrey. They described themselves as “hands-on” editors who occasionally provide extensive comments to writers and will go through several rounds of editing before a piece is ready for publication. Sometimes they will discuss individual works for a long time with one another before coming to a decision. Needless to say, this is a venue in which submissions are treated with attention and care.

And just what do Adam and Jeffrey look for in submissions? Some may be surprised to learn that the justice theme is meant to be light. These editors do not want heavy-handed didacticism that lands directly on a moral or tries to educate the reader. Character-driven fiction is preferred. Creative nonfiction ought to be “as personal as possible.” Poetry should lean toward the visceral rather than the cerebral—“gut-punch work.” Thought-provocation and ambiguity, wherein readers are left to come to their own conclusions, are welcome.

They are also decidedly not looking for police procedurals, courtroom dramas, detective stories or other forms of genre writing. However, if a piece does explore “the social/psychological realities of life,” be it from the perspective of a lawyer, detective, or anyone else, that is fine.

Of paramount importance for the work is that it be literary. This is a place for strong, authoritative voices. The editors like to know that a piece has been carefully edited— “the sentences turned”—before submission. Writers ought to be wary of responding to something unfolding in the news and dashing off a quick emotional response for a submission here. The focus ought to be on the piece’s timeless and literary aspects, such that a piece submitted to J Journal could also be a candidate for any top literary magazine.

What do these editors see a lot of in submissions? What would they like to see more of? Which past published pieces standout as exemplar of what they like to publish? What advice do they have for writers who wish to submit here? And how exactly do writers explore notions of justice in ways that are fresh and impactful? For all that and more, dear friends, you will have to watch the video!

Adam and Jeffrey are a dynamic duo indeed, whose evident and long-standing friendship shines through the work they do.

They are also looking for someone to help out with social media outreach. If that’s something that interests you, contact them at JJournal@jjay.cuny.edu.

J Journal publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry. They are open year-round for submissions. They publish online two times per year. There is no fee to submit.

To everyone who came out to join the conversation, thank you! Your faces are the sun-diamond sparkles on my cold winter ice!

And, of course, thank you to Adam and Jeffrey for peeling back the curtain of another vital little magazine.

Happy viewing!

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