>Bad Behavior:Western Humanities Review

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If I had a subscription to Western Humanities Review, I’d be cancelling it about now. I love literary journals and subscribe to many–very many–and believe it is important for writers especially to support them. I also understand, since I work for one, that they are under a lot of pressure and often inundated with submissions from folks just like me. So I live with the dehumanizing process of tiny, badly-photocopied rejections slips that some times take a year to arrive. I don’t like it, but I live with it. But some journal behavior just isn’t acceptable.

Today I received a small note in the SASE that I had sent with a submission (which I had already withdrawn by email, I might add, since the story was accepted elsewhere) in February to WHR:

“Thank you for your interest in Western Humanities Review. Due to a backlog and an upcoming special issue, we must regrettably send back your work. Please send us your work again in September, 2006.”

I don’t think I’ll be doing that. When I submitted this piece in February there was no mention on their website of an early close to WHR’s reading period, which runs to May 1. I checked the website again just now, and there is still no mention of early closure. This is intolerable. Curses on you, Western Humanities Review If you are open to submissions, you should be open to submissions.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

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