I’m so thrilled to share that we’ve published Issue 1 of Last Syllable, the new online literary journal created and run by the students in PLNU’s M.A. in Writing program!

My Editing & Publishing class created this journal from scratch this semester—everything from choosing the name to designing the website to reading over 500 submissions to curating, setting up, and promoting this first issue and more! They did an incredible amount of work, and this gorgeous issue that they’ve produced is such a great way to bring this new journal to life.

I knew there was a gap in publishing venues for longform writing (which is why that’s our focus!), but I never dreamed that over 500 people would give Last Syllable a chance during this first reading period. I’m so proud of my grad students, who are not only incredible writers themselves, but also such thoughtful and engaged editors who are so fun to be with each week. And I’m grateful for all of the writers—those published in this issue and not—who trusted our new journal with their work! I hope many readers let themselves get lost in this first issue for awhile.