Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Work I'd give a gold star
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: I admire publications that want a wide range of submissions and refrain from constant solicitation and accept work based on merit and the utter love of the work and not name recognition, favors, or social politics.
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Raymond Carver, Ethan Canin, Pam Houston, John Steinbeck, Jeanette Wintersen, Tim O'Brien, F.X. Toole, Denis Johnson, Thom Jones
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: People say we have an actual personality, an entity beyond a book and a name, and I think people find this refreshing and welcoming. We read blind, publish an extremely wide range of genres, have no rules about content (though it must speak to a literary audience), and play no social politics in terms of soliciting or accepting work.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: We really, truly are open to all styles and genres. We never know what we might love, so don't be afraid to submit something edgy, something reserved, something shiny, something dark, something something.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Everything I print is ideal to me, and they are all such different pieces, so that's the best I can do. There is no ideal submission. I respond with my gut and my heart and little else.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: Really nothing. They do great!
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: As much as they feel like sharing. Nothing insanely long, but it's nice to get to know them beyond their publications and awards and schooling, because that says very little to me. I want to know about who they are outside of this world. (We read the cover letter after deciding to reject or accept a piece to keep the whole process of blind reading a fair one).
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: All of it. I enjoy reading and believe every piece deserves its due. I know people who submit, not in the hopes of being published, but in the hopes of just being READ.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: None. I go with my instincts. It's how I write, it's how I choose. It never fails. Love is love is love.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: Gripes! Well, I check e-mails when I wake, mail issues, check submissions, read submissions, update people about the latest news. Check Facebook, respond to any posts, post publications, readings, acceptances by former or current Palookas. Always excited to read that next piece, hoping this next piece will be the leap home. Oh, wait. Hoping this next piece will be an acceptance. :)
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: I think it's really important but not something I want to go overboard with. Magazines end up regurgitating the same news on their homepage, twitter, Facebook, blog, etc. It's pretty redundant and gets old, and I'm just sticking with Facebook for now. I appreciate the strides lit mags are making toward the future, pandering to a wider audience, going online with printed materials, videos, audio readings, and giving people less of that classic boring magazine which had stale text and only three genres and now lean toward more of that dynamic, well-rounded book you can't wait to dig in to.