by Jo Scheier Bugay, Volunteer Coordinator for The Watershed Journal

“I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do—the actual act of writing—turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward.” —Anne Lamott

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”–Anaïs Nin

“Writing is its own reward.”–Henry Miller

Writing may indeed be its own reward— the ceremony versus the tea, the slightly greedy desire to taste life twice— but most of us who write want to reach others through our work. So while publication may not be ‘all it’s cracked up to be,’ as Anne Lamott says, it is a gratifying outcome. We may write for ourselves, but we publish for a sense of connection, and perhaps, as Isaac Asminov once said, for a slice of immortality.

Recently I was browsing in a local antique store and came across a little book of poetry called The Other Self, by Marion Foster Smith, published by Gold Seal Publications in 1952. She lived in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. I knew nothing about her but that hardly mattered. I gladly paid the few dollars to have her book on my shelves— my collection of local poets augmented, her sliver of immortality continued.

With these complimentary, but distinctly different literary publications, writers (and artists) in Northwestern Pennsylvania can enjoy every aspect of their creative efforts— the act of creation itself, and the promise of a little slice of immortality.

Publications in Our Portion of Northwest PA

The Watershed Journal

A non-profit magazine published quarterly by a literary group based in Brookville, The Watershed Journal combines the written word with photography and art to celebrate the region’s natural beauty and its stories. The custom-designed Journal is inclusive and focuses on empowering its readers through the authenticity of its content. Submissions are free and made by email via the Journal’s website or directly. The Journal is produced as a high-quality printed magazine featuring exquisite layouts reflecting the beauty of the region. Past issues and supplemental content are made available on-line. Readers have the opportunity to become supporting members of the Journal, making them eligible for additional benefits such as exclusive content and a frameable reproduction of a photograph featured in each edition.

Tobeco

Tobeco is a yearly journal published under the auspices of Clarion University. The journal welcomes submissions from both members of the university and surroundingcommunities. Submissions can include both literary and art works. Tobeco’s mission, according to its website, is to “incorporate artistic expression and conversation in the everyday lives of our members and friends.” Submission deadlines are typically announced via the University’s website and are made via email to tobeco@clarion.edu. The range of expression and styles is particular wide in this journal thanks to the representation of students as editors and writers, and the support they receive to enhance their writing, reading, and editing skills, working closely with professors and local writers.

Bridge Literary Arts Journal

Bridge Literary Arts Journal is a regional publication which seeks to publish works from writers and artists from Clarion, Venango, Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Warren, Forest, Lawrence, Jefferson and Mercer counties. It is published in conjunction with the Bridge Literary Arts Center in Franklin, PA. The yearly Journal is part of the Art Center’s dedicated to the prosperity of the literary arts in Franklin and the greater Western Pennsylvania region. Beyond the written word, this journal accepts a wide range of art including paintings, line drawings, collages, calligraphy and photography, resulting in a beautiful journal that explores multiple artistic modes of expression.

Other Publishing Opportunities

There are many choices for sharing your work, including self-publishing through the myriad of options enabled by the internet, or submitting pieces to journals, or manuscripts to publishers. It takes patience, persistence, some money and definitely, a pretty thick skin. The Holy Grail is finding that publication, that press, that editor, who finds your work to be one of the voices they want to include.

Writers in the Northwestern Pennsylvania area are very fortunate to have three literary Journals interested in local voices. This fact is astonishing— how many regions can boast of having such a treasure-trove of publications that prefer the work of the area’s writers? While they each have different missions, they share a focus on our region and our storytellers.