ALMA — Four graduates of Alma College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program are taking their shared passion for literature and turning it into something tangible — and beautifully unconventional.
Their new literary magazine, “The Long and the Short of It,” officially opened its first call for submissions in August with an inaugural theme: “Playlist for the Apocalypse.” The journal, created by Joey Lamson Meyer, Joshua Zeitler, Cash Whitney, and Mary Bishop, explores how theme and form interact across a wide spectrum of genres and styles. In October, the journal’s first issue will debut on Substack.
“The idea had been floating around our group chat for a while,” said Meyer, the journal’s creative nonfiction and fiction editor. “Once we were awarded a residency with Write On, Door County, it gave us the proof of concept we needed. We knew we had to get this off the ground.”
The residency, scheduled for 2026 in scenic Door County, Wisc., provides writers with space and time to focus — and in this case, collaborate. While there, the group plans to not only work on their literary journal but also engage with the local community. They’ll host a public writing workshop, then publish a themed issue based on contributions from participants.
But the work has already begun. Built on a shared belief that writing should be accessible and expressive, “The Long and the Short of It” accepts submissions in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, hybrid forms, and visual art. The journal publishes pieces on both ends of the length spectrum — very short and very long — a deliberate decision that reflects gaps in the publishing landscape.
“Flash forms are becoming increasingly popular,” said Zeitler, the journal’s poetry editor. “But there still aren’t many places to publish them. And at the same time, a lot of longer works get passed over for being too lengthy. We wanted to create a space where both could thrive — a way to hit both of those outliers in the system.”
The magazine plans to release new themed issues every other month. After “Playlist for the Apocalypse” drops in October, the next submission window opens on September 15 for December’s issue, “Sweater in the Attic.” Each theme is chosen with flexibility and imagination in mind.
“We want prompts that spark something different in every writer,” said Bishop, also a creative nonfiction and fiction editor. “A romance author might interpret ‘Sweater in the Attic’ one way, while someone writing horror might take it somewhere completely unexpected. We love that.”
There’s no cost to submit, no fee to read — only an open invitation for writers from the full spectrum of society to engage with the challenge, push themselves creatively, and connect with others. That spirit of connection runs deep for the four founders. Despite having spent relatively little time together in person — only during the brief and intensive residencies that define the Alma MFA experience — the four maintained a close bond after graduating, driven in part by the same need for creative community that inspired the journal.
That creative companionship was forged through Alma’s low-residency MFA program, which all four credit with shaping their writing — and their willingness to take on something as ambitious as starting a literary magazine.
“After residencies, there’s this weird sort of loneliness,” said Whitney, creative nonfiction and visual art editor. “You go home and you miss having writer friends around. Staying connected helped keep that energy going. It also helped me discover how much I love teaching. Workshopping with faculty and peers stirred something in me — I realized I want to guide others through their writing, too.”
For more information on “The Long and the Short of It,” including submission guidelines, visit longandshortlit.substack.com. For more information the Alma MFA program, visit alma.edu/mfa.