Gulf Coast (magazine)

Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts
Editor Zachary Martin
Categories Literary magazine
Frequency Biannual
Circulation 2,500
First issue 1986
Company Department of English, University of Houston
Country United States
Based in Houston, Texas
Language English
Website www.gulfcoastmag.org

Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts is a literary magazine from Houston, Texas. Founded in 1986 by Donald Barthelme and Phillip Lopate, Gulf Coast was envisioned as an intersection between the literary and visual arts communities. As a result, Gulf Coast has partnered with the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Menil Collection to showcase some of the most important literary and artistic talents in the United States. Faculty editors past and present include Mark Doty (1999–2005), Claudia Rankine, (2006) and Nick Flynn (2007–present). The magazine publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

In 2007, Heather McHugh chose David Shumate's Drawing Jesus, which first appeared in Gulf Coast, for The Best American Poetry 2007, and Stephen King listed Peter Bognanni's The Body Eternal and Sandra Novack's Memphis, again premiering in Gulf Coast, among the 100 Distinguished Stories in The Best American Short Stories 2007. Gulf Coast featured artists Robyn O'Neil and Amy Blakemore[1] have been featured in the Whitney Biennial.

History

The magazine was originally named Domestic Crude (1983–1985), a name that nodded to the major industry of the Houston area. It was a 64-page (magazine-formatted) student-run publication, with editorial advising coming from Lopate, who also contributed work to the first issues.

In 1986, the name Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts was adopted. After some experimenting, the magazine found its dimensions and, eventually, its audience. The print magazine comes out each April and October.

Gulf Coast is still student-run. The magazine seeks to promote and publish quality literature in our local and national communities while simultaneously teaching excellence in literary publishing to graduate and undergraduate students. Being committed to providing a variety of literary approaches and voices, all of the editorial positions are two-year terms, thus ensuring a regular turnover in the specific personality and style of the magazine.

In addition to literature, Gulf Coast explores the visual arts. Each issue features two artists, along with short essays on the work from the art editor.


Gulf Coast Prize

Each year, the magazine presents the Gulf Coast Prizes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Outside judges name the winners, who each receive a $1,500 honorarium and are published in the magazine's Winter/Spring issue; two runners-up in each genre will each receive a $250 second prize.[2] Past judges for the prizes include Eula Biss, Eavan Boland, Terrance Hayes, Susan Howe, Antonya Nelson, and Natasha Trethewey.[3]

Barthelme Prize

Gulf Coast also awards the annual Donald Barthelme Prize for Short Prose which awards $1,000 and publication to one prose poem, micro-essay, or short story of five hundred words or less. The Barthelme Prize was inaugurated by editors emeriti Sean Bishop and Laurie Cedilnik in 2008.[2] Past judges for the Barthelme Prize include Beckian Fritz Goldberg and Mary Robison.[3]

Houston Indie Book Fest

The Houston Indie Book Fest is one of Gulf Coast's major community events. Hosted through a collaboration with The Menil Collection and the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, the event is completely free and open to the public and remains the only one of its kind in the Houston and Austin areas. It features a variety of nationally-distributed literary journals and small-press books alongside local booksellers, book and magazine publishers, small presses, literary organizations, and writers.

Since 2008, the Houston Indie Book Festival has steadily expanded from a small gathering of local booksellers and artists to a full-scale regional event featuring dozens of local exhibitors and attracting hundreds of visitors throughout the day. The event has grown to include a day-long reading series, children's events, musical acts, and, for the first time in 2012, informational panel discussions organized by HIBF exhibitors and local readers, writers, and publishers.

For the past two years, the event has been held on the Menil Lawn to accommodate the growing number of exhibitors and visitors; the 2011 festival received an estimated 2,500 visitors throughout the day.Marketing and promotion for the event included coverage in the Houston Press, media sponsorship from Houston Public Radio, interviews on 91.7 KFPT, e-newsletters, as well as distribution of postcards and posters.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Whitney Biennial 2006: Day for Night". Whitney.org. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Current Contests". Gulf Coast. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Past Gulf Coast and Barthelme Prize Winners". Gulf Coast. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
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