Buckle up! We’re on our way to the Lone Star State. Texas is our next stop on our litmag road trip. Rebecca Paredes comes to us today with a list of some of the great literary venues that call Texas home.
It makes sense that the vast Lone Star State is home to a diverse literary landscape, ranging from regional publications to international journals. (And where else would you find the O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championships than Austin?) On this leg of our literary road trip, we’re looking at a non-exhaustive list of publications that showcase fiction and are based in Texas. Buckle up, y’all.
American Short Fiction
Founded in 1991 at the University of Texas Press, American Short Fiction is a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award for Fiction and was selected in 2019 as a winner of the Whiting Literary Magazine Prize. The magazine is issued triannually and publishes work by emerging and established voices. American Short Fiction publishes short fiction, novel excerpts, and novellas in print, as well as short fiction online.
Aries
Aeries is an international literary magazine that publishes poetry, short fiction, one-act plays, black-and-white photography, and art. It was founded in 1986 and is published annually at Texas Wesleyan University. The journal only accepts submissions between September 1 and January 31, and issues are published every summer.
Bat City Review
This literary journal is collaboratively edited by MFA candidates from the New Writers Project, Michener Center for Writers, and Studio Art. It was founded in 2004 and publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and visual art—in particular, work that expands “our imaginations and complicates our conversations; work willing to take risks, surprise, experiment, and play,” according to the journal’s About page. Bat City Review publishes annually, and submissions are currently closed.
Big Bend Literary Magazine
Big Bend’s is a new online quarterly literary magazine: Its inaugural issue published Fall 2021. The publication’s mission is to support the artistic community of the Big Bend region, which is located in southwest Texas and includes the Chisos mountain range and Chihuahuan Desert. Big Bend Literary Magazine showcases the work of creators inspired by the area’s local nature, beauty, and culture.
Carve Magazine
Named in honor of Raymond Carver, Carve publishes fiction, poetry and nonfiction that respect “the power of language and craft and elicits genuine emotional truth,” according to the About page. The magazine accepts submissions year-round from anywhere in the world and publishes in print and digital editions.
Concho River Review
Founded in 1987, Concho River Review is a biannual journal published by Angelo State University. The journal publishes short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from emerging and established authors in Texas, the Southwest and beyond. CRR accepts submissions year-round.
descant
This annual journal is published annually in the fall by Texas Christian University. It publishes fiction and poetry in print and online, as well as online exclusives like essays and reviews. descant offers four awards for fiction and poetry, and all published submissions are eligible for prize consideration. The journal is currently open for submissions until 12/15/21.
The First Line
Based in Plano, Texas, The First Line publishes short stories that stem from a common first line. The journal is “an exercise in creativity for writers and a chance for readers to see how many different directions we can take when we start from the same place,” according to the About page. The First Line publishes four times per year. To view the first lines for each quarter in 2021, check out the Submission Guidelines.
Gulf Coast
Founded in 1986, Gulf Coast is a student-run, nationally distributed journal published by the University of Houston. The biannual journal publishes online and in print twice per year. Gulf Coast accepts submissions from September 1 through March 1. In addition to poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, the journal publishes interviews, reviews, and critical art writing.
FlowerSong Press
This small press encompasses Anacua Literary Arts Journal and Prickly Pear Publishing, projects that stem from Odilia Galván Rodríguez and Edward Vidaurre’s goal to showcase Rio Grande Valley writers “and promote the voices of other Indigenous, Chicanx, Latinx, and all BIPOC writers of the Southwest,” per the press’s about page. FlowerSong Press and its imprints are currently accepting submissions for poetry, prose, short stories, and more for 2021-2022.
Iron Horse Literary Review
This national literary journal is published at Texas Tech University. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of bringing the literary arts to West Texas. Today, IHLR also aims to publish up-and-coming writers “who keep poetry, fiction, and nonfiction energized.” The journal publishes short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and artwork six times per year: three print issues every September, December, and March, as well as three e-editions. Recommended follow: IHLR’s Instagram, which features the books the journal’s editors are reading over lunch.
Porter House Review
This online literary journal is produced in conjunction with Texas State University’s MFA in Creative Writing. The journal publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and photography in print and online, and it seeks to publish “bold and incisive writing that interrogates not only the complexities of the human experience, but also the prevailing social challenges of our time,” according to the About page. Porter House Review publishes six times per year and is currently open for submissions.
Raspa
Founded in Austin, Texas in 2012 by César Ramos, Raspa Magazine is a yearly queer literary magazine focused on the Latinx perspective. The magazine publishes short stories, creative nonfiction, dramatic works, and poetry in English or Spanish, as well as visual art. Contributors must self-identify as queer Latinxs. Raspa accepts submissions from February 15 through August 15.
Reunion: The Dallas Review
Formerly known as Sojourn, Reunion is published by the University of Texas at Dallas and aims to cultivate the arts community in Dallas, Texas, by promoting the work of talented writers and artists both locally and across the globe. The journal accepts short fiction, drama, visual art, poetry, translation work, nonfiction, and interviews. Reunion publishes annually and accepts submissions from October 1 through January 15.
riverSedge
Founded in 1977 and published by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, riverSedge is a literary journal of culture and literature which publishes creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, scriptwriting, visual art, graphic literature, and critical reviews from the South Texas region and beyond. Now online-only, the journal is published annually and is currently open for submissions through March 1, 2022.
San Antonio Review
This Austin-based international journal publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and more. San Antonio Review publishes online and in print. Per the journal’s About page, it is “devoted to serving as a gathering space outside academia, the market and government for writers, artists, scholars, activists, workers, students, parents and others to express their perspectives and reflections on our shared world and help develop visions of our collective future.” Submissions are accepted online and via mail.
Southwest Review
Founded in 1915, Southwest Review is the third-longest-running literary quarterly in the United States. The publication is housed on the campus of Southern Methodist University and publishes in print and online. Southwest Review has previously featured prominent writers like D.H. Lawrence, Arthur Miller, Annie Dillard, and Anne Carson. The journal aims to reopen for submissions in 2022.
Southwestern American Literature
This biannual journal features literary criticism, fiction, poetry, and book reviews concerning the Greater Southwest. It was founded in 1971 and is published by Texas State University. Southwestern American Literature is currently accepting submissions for its next print issue.
Space City Underground
This new literary magazine is based in Houston, Texas. The magazine’s mission statement is to “create a space where stellar artists can express themselves unapologetically, free from any oppressive, early confines.” Space City Underground publishes art, poetry, prose, and reviews and is currently accepting submissions for its second volume.
The Texas Review
The Texas Review is a biannual literary journal that was first published in 1976. The journal is part of Texas Review Press, which is housed at Sam Houston State University. The journal publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and reviews, and it is open for submissions through January 1, 2022.
Texlandia
This Texas-based literary, visual arts, and culture magazine is run by students and faculty at Rice University. Texlandia seeks to “(re)define places through the stories and art of the people who call them ‘home.’” The magazine publishes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, reportage, visual art, and hybrid works. Texlandia is not currently accepting submissions.
Voices de la Luna
This quarterly literature and arts magazine was founded in 2008 by San Antonio writers Mo Saidi and Jim Brandenburg. In addition to the magazine, Voices de la Luna also offers community events like monthly literary venues, art therapy sessions, and collaborations with other local literary and arts organizations. Submissions for particular issues must be uploaded by the first day of the month prior to publication: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
by Rebecca Paredes