ZYZZYVA: West Coast Writers and Artists

Accent: On the first syllable: ziz-i-va. The last word in the American Heritage Dictionary: “any of various tropical American weevils, often destructive to plants.”

Advertising: So we have more ads than any other literary magazine in the country, so what? We think art galleries, bookstores, publishers, restaurants, and writing programs buy lots of ads in ZYZZYVA, because they believe in what we do. We think they want to support and be part of the community we represent.

Anglophilia: The West Coast is as foreign to most Americans as England ever was. We have no truck with the obvious clichés about the Left Coast and aren’t much interested in regionalismo. But we do have our own take on life and letters. And we’re not slavish admirers of all things English.

Art: We take seriously our mandate to showcase the work of West Coast writers and artists, reproducing 30 or so images in each issue, an on-going survey of recent drawing, printmaking, and photography.

Avant: Little magazines played a key role in the triumph of early modernism. They were emblematic of the new, hotbeds of radical experiment. That was then.

Now we confront a culture obsessed with big numbers. Big-time magazines have all but given up on fiction & poetry.

ZYZZYVA attacks the new smugness by asserting classical values: the possibilities of individual vision; the enduring magic of words; the delight of variety; absolute freedom from commercial constraint.

Big Names: Every litmag promises to put you in touch with famous writers. So do we:

Sherman Alexie, Aimee Bender, Justin Chin, Daniel Handler, Adam Hochschild, Michael Palmer, Adrienne Rich, Gary Snyder...

Discoveries: The table of contents has a special section, First Time in Print, to introduce writers never published before, like Po Bronson, Michelle T. Clinton, Joshua Clover, Peter Coyote, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Forrest Hamer, Karen Karbo, Avner Mandelman, Jess Mowry, Yxta Maya Murray…


ZIZIPEDIA
	masthead board staff great moments corporate autobiography	Accent: On the first syllable: ziz-i-va. The last word in the American Heritage Dictionary: “any of various tropical American weevils, often destructive to plants.” Advertising: So we have more ads than any other literary magazine in the country, so what? We think art galleries, bookstores, publishers, restaurants, and writing programs buy lots of ads in ZYZZYVA, because they believe in what we do. We think they want to support and be part of the community we represent. Anglophilia: The West Coast is as foreign to most Americans as England ever was. We have no truck with the obvious clichés about the Left Coast and aren’t much interested in regionalismo. But we do have our own take on life and letters. And we’re not slavish admirers of all things English. Art: We take seriously our mandate to showcase the work of West Coast writers and artists, reproducing 30 or so images in each issue, an on-going survey of recent drawing, printmaking, and photography. Avant: Little magazines played a key role in the triumph of early modernism. They were emblematic of the new, hotbeds of radical experiment. That was then. Now we confront a culture obsessed with big numbers. Big-time magazines have all but given up on fiction & poetry. ZYZZYVA attacks the new smugness by asserting classical values: the possibilities of individual vision; the enduring magic of words; the delight of variety; absolute freedom from commercial constraint. Big Names: Every litmag promises to put you in touch with famous writers. So do we: Sherman Alexie, Aimee Bender, Justin Chin, Daniel Handler, Adam Hochschild, Michael Palmer, Adrienne Rich, Gary Snyder... Discoveries: The table of contents has a special section, First Time in Print, to introduce writers never published before, like Po Bronson, Michelle T. Clinton, Joshua Clover, Peter Coyote, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Forrest Hamer, Karen Karbo, Avner Mandelman, Jess Mowry, Yxta Maya Murray…	Guidelines: If you live on the West Coast (CA, OR, WA, AK, HI), take your best shot. We pay $50 on acceptance for first North American serial rights. We publish a wide range of fiction, poetry, and essays. We don’t do interviews, reviews, or criticism. Five anthologies of work from our pages have been published, the most recent, AutoBioDiversity: True Stories from ZYZZYVA, by Heyday Books. Independence: All but a handful of the major litmags in this country are owned by universities. They are, by definition, academic, with all that implies. The reason there aren’t more independents is simple: money. It is impossible for a litmag to make money; a subsidy, from somewhere, is necessary. Most nonacademic litmags enjoy the backing of a rich, private patron. No harm done. ZYZZYVA survives on its nerve and on the generosity of a broad base of subscribers, advertisers, and funders. Your subscription would help our bottom line. You might even consider subscribing as part of paying your dues as a member of the community of West Coast writers & artists. Membership: A subscription is like a virtual club, a place to hang out and to take nourishment. It is also a very real club to wield against the barbarians and the bourgeoisie. Slush pile: The editor reads every submission (but not the cover letters), and, in each issue, publishes a handful of writers who have never appeared in print before; two-thirds of the writers in a given issue are new to ZYZZYVA. No joke. Table of Contents: A typical issue, 176 pages perfect bound, contains roughly 20 pages of poetry, 25 of ads, 30 of essays, 35 of images, and 75 of fiction. ZYZZYVA appears in March, August, and November. Writers’ subscriptions: As part of our commitment to writers, starving students, and budget-conscious readers, we offer special subscriptions at $20 off the regular rate. Please send your check now.
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