REAL: Regarding Arts & Letters was founded in 1968 as an academic journal which
occasionally published poetry. Now, it is an international creative magazine dedicated to
publishing the best contemporary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.
We produce two perfect-bound issues a year, each issue is 120 pages, featuring
approximately seven short stories, two creative nonfiction pieces, and twenty poems.
REAL features work by emerging and established artists. REAL has published
professional writers from all across the United States—and from Israel, China, Canada,
Australia, England. Our writers have included the poets laureate of Oklahoma and Texas
(Carol Hamilton, Larry Thomas), Mark Wisinewski, Ryan G. Van Cleave and fiction
writers like Katrina Denza, Edmund de Chasca, Roy Kesey and Joe R. Lansdale.
We generally look for realistic literature, although we will publish a genre piece if it is of
the highest quality. Please see our guidelines before submitting your work.
REAL is housed in the Department of English and College of Liberal and Applied Arts at
Stephen F. Austin State University, home of the first B.F.A. in Creative Writing in the
state of Texas.
The magazine is produced in house. The staff of REAL designs and prints all interior
pages. The cover is designed by the staff, printed by Complete Printing of Carthage,
Texas and the copies are bound by K. B. Bindery in Tyler, Texas.
Students in the B.F.A. in Creative Writing and the M.A. program in English with
a Creative Writing Emphasis often work on the magazine reading submissions and helping
with production, gaining practical experience as writers and editors.
The current staff includes:
| Editor-in-Chief/Poetry Editor: |
Dr. Christine Butterworth-McDermott |
| Assistant Editor: |
Andrew Brininstool |
| Fiction Editor: |
Dr. John A. McDermott |
| Asst. Nonfiction Editor: |
Christine Hennessey |
| Graduate Assistant: |
Jennifer McLaughlin |
| Undergraduate Interns: |
M. Brett Gaffney, Tyler Heath, Aaron Kline, and Jen Moody |
