Since 1990, the American Literary Review has been published through the Department of English at the University of North Texas. From the journal’s inception, we have made a point of publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by writers at all stages of their careers. Our editorial process is collaborative; as faculty, PhD students, and MA students in creative writing, we work together to bring the same intellectual rigor to our editing of ALR as we do to our analysis of texts in the classroom. In 2013 we moved online. While our format has changed, our mission remains the same. We look for writing that reveals the nuances and complexities of human experience, that surprises and moves us. Some recent contributors whose work we feel embodies these ideals include: Sam Sax, Laura Kasischke, Marcia Aldrich, Bethany Ball, Rebecca Faust, Wayne Miller, Michael Nye, Jericho Parms, Roger Reeves, Ira Sukrungruang, and Pimone Triplett. We seek work that challenges the reader’s imagination through fresh language and precise imagery. While respecting both craft and tradition, we are also interested in hybrid forms. Above all, we aim to publish work that reflects the diverse, rich tradition of writers living here and abroad, expanding the notion of what it means to publish literature that is American.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.