Gulf Coast-A Journal Of Literature & Fine Arts

Programs: Founded in 1986 by university of houston faculty members philip lopate and donald barthelme, gulf coast: a journal of literature and fine arts seeks to publish and promote quality literature in our local and national communities. Gulf coast is produced and distributed biannually (2 issues) reaching over 5,500 individuals and institutions. Gulf coast publishes poetry, fiction, non-fiction, reviews and art; offering a creative venue for over 180 emerging and established writers and artists. Our readership of the print journal currently exceeds 3,000, with more and more coming to our ever-expanding website.

in addition to the production of the journal, gulf coast hosts or participates in a number of community-based literary events. Each spring, gulf coast attends the national annual writing conference awp, where it seeks to expand the subscription base and exposure of gulf coast literary journal. In 2003, gulf coast partnered with the council of literary magazines and presses (clmp), the national endowment for the arts (nea), and brazos bookstore for an inaugural literary magazine and small press fair. Now an annual event, this free fair features readings by local and regional authors, exhibitions by literary journals and small presses, panels of editors who address issues of submission and publication, a new children's area featuring readings and workshops led by local writers, and deeply discounted books and literary journals. Gulf coast also runs an annual reading series, alternatively held at brazos bookstore and rudyard's pub and grille, showcasing the talent of students ion university of houston's creative writing program, as well as several featured guest readers of national acclaim.

each spring, gulf coast hosts a spring launch event to kick start the release of its summer/fall issue. This event is open and free to the community and includes a reading and discussion by a panel of its nationally acclaimed contributors.