When I saw the news about the publication of Charlotte Lit’s latest issue of Litmosphere, I remembered hearing that Charlotte Lit was planning to make some changes to their literary journal beginning with this issue. Curious about these changes, I contacted Kathie Collins, the Editor-in-Chief of Litmosphere, and asked her for more information about the latest issue. Here is what she sent to me:
Hi, Mark. The Fall 2024 issue of Litmosphere is live online, and we couldn’t be more pleased to share with readers these outstanding stories and poems by thirty writers from Charlotte and around the world. The issue also features beautifully evocative hand-cut collages by artist Wendy Balconi. We hope readers will agree that by combining fantastic writing with thought-provoking visual imagery the new Litmosphere is something the entire Charlotte Lit community can be proud of!
North Carolina is well-represented in the issue. We’re pleased to publish works by Sarah Archer, Joseph Bathanti, Steve Cushman, Christopher Davis, Michael Dechane, Mary Alice Dixon, Paul Jones, Eric Nelson, David Radavich, Lucinda Trew, and George T. Wilkerson.
This is the fourth issue of Litmosphere and the first since revisioning our journal last spring. As you’ve written about, Mark, for three years Litmosphere was home for Charlotte Lit’s Lit/South Awards winners and finalists. We gained essential experience running a contest-based journal and we leave Lit/South behind with mixed feelings. We were able to engage writers with huge national prominence as contest judges, and we had the good fortune to select winners and finalists among some excellent stories and poems that came in from throughout our region. But we started to question the contest model and the less-than-friendly landscape for writers seeking to find homes for their work. We’ve re-envisioned Litmosphere as an oasis in the desert of long response times and impersonal rejection notes. As writers ourselves, we know submitters are putting real skin (thick or thin) into the game and deserve our full attention and respect.
Here’s some essential info for anyone interested in reading Litmosphere and submitting their work.
You can read Litmosphere online at https://litmosphere.charlottelit.org. We now publish two issues per year, in March and September, with submissions accepted in the first weeks of January and July. We pledge to respond quickly—no more than four weeks—and most often with a personal note. We curate writing selections with thematic resonances, pay every contributor a meaningful honorarium, and elevate the reading experience with visual art and a user-friendly web platform.
We’d love to hear what people think of our re-visioned journal—what’s working and what tweaks might take our journal even higher into the Litmosphere!
I congratulate Kathie and all of the good folks at Charlotte Lit on the publication of the fourth issue of Litmosphere. I also congratulate them on their willingness to embrace change. One of the reasons Charlotte Lit is such a vital part of Storied Charlotte is that is never rests on its laurels.
