Midwestern Gothic (ISSN 2159-8827) is a quarterly print literary journal out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, dedicated to featuring work about or inspired by the Midwest, by writers who live or have lived here. Midwestern Gothic aims to collect the very best in Midwestern fiction writing in a way that has never been done before, cataloging the oeuvre of an often-overlooked region of the United States ripe with its own mythologies and tall tales.

Don’t be fooled by our name. Gothic fiction is often defined as the inclusion of deeply flawed, often “grotesque” characters in realistic (and, oftentimes unpleasant) settings/situations. At Midwestern Gothic, we take to heart the realistic aspects of Gothic fiction. Not every piece needs to be dark or twisted or full of despair, but we are looking for real life, inspired by the region, good, bad, or ugly.

Ultimately, we’re striving to catalog the best of Midwestern writers, and whether it be pieces physically set in the Midwest, or work inspired by your time living here, we want it.

FOUNDERS/FICTION EDITORS Jeff Pfaller is a novelist and short story writer. A Midwesterner through and through since the day he was born, Jeff has transplanted his wife, two children, dog and cat from Michigan to Des Plaines, Illinois. Find him online at http://jeffpfaller.com

Robert James Russell is a Pushcart Prize nominated author whose work has appeared in Joyland, The Collagist, Thunderclap! Magazine, LITSNACK, and The Legendary, among others. His first novel, Sea of Trees, was published in 2012 by Winter Goose Publishing. Find him online at http://robertjamesrussell.com.

POETRY EDITOR Christina Olson is the author of a book of poems, Before I Came Home Naked. Her poetry and nonfiction recently appeared in The Normal School, Gastronomica and Rhino. She lives in Georgia and online at http://www.thedrevlow-olsonshow.com.

COPYEDITORS C.J. Opperthauser is a Michigander living and teaching in Ohio. His poems have been published in Cleveland Review and Controlled Burn, among others. He likes to run and fish, and blogs at http://thicketsandthings.tumblr.com.

Bailey Shoemaker Richards is a writer, a blogger for and member of the SPARKteam, a columnist for Shaping Youth, a literary content editor for Line Zero, and, during the day, she works as a marketing analyst. She has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Ohio University, lives in Northwest Ohio, and is firmly convinced that there will never, ever be enough coffee. Find her at http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/baileyshoe

Andrea Uptmor is a fiction writer living in Minnesota. Her work has appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Hot Metal Bridge, and the Chicago Reader, among others. Her new year’s resolution is to blog more at http://www.andreauptmor.com.

INTERNS Emily Paull is a student at the University of Michigan, pursuing a degree in English and French, as well as a Secondary Teacher certification. She is a native Michigander from the west side of the state who enjoys writing fiction and playing the cello.

Kayla Silverstein will be going on her fourth year of undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan in fall 2013 and is pursuing multiple degrees in English, Creative Writing, and French. Born in Miami but raised in Michigan, the Midwest is where she calls home. At UM, she works as a paid blogger for Arts at Michigan, reviewing performances around campus. She is also an intern at the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor and an active participant in the UM Women’s Glee Club.