CONTACT: Barrett White, Editor-in-chief
editor@hearthandcoffin.com or (832) 617-4048
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Love Letter to Trans Texans” calls for works by transgender Texans
Hearth & Coffin to publish a special edition issue highlighting works by transgender Texans affected by the comments by Gov. Abbott and AG Paxton.
NEW YORK (February 24, 2022) – New York transplant literary journal Hearth & Coffin, originally published out of Houston, is calling for submissions by transgender Texans in need of an outlet. The journal is accepting works of fiction and nonfiction, prose and poetry. Submissions for this special edition will be accepted through March 25, to be published in April.
“As native Texans ourselves, we are diametrically opposed to the recent statements by Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton,” says editor-in-chief Barrett White. “In opposition, we wish to offer our platform to the voices of trans Texans.”
Hearth & Coffin asks that submittees bear feelings, messages of strength, allegories of triumph, or just simple messages of being. No one owes anyone any specific presentation; the journal merely asks that trans Texans share themselves in whatever way they feel they need to.
“Texas is a beautiful state filled with flourishing LGBTQ activists in every little pocket from the biggest cities to the smallest towns,” White continues. “We will not allow second-rate politicians who were gerrymandered & voter suppressed into office to write this narrative. To our trans Texan siblings: Write what you want - or need - to say and allow us, if we may, to be a platform for uplifting your voices.”
Submission guidelines for this issue differ from standard procedure and are as follows:
Email submissions to editor@hearthandcoffin.com
Submittees should include their name, a pseudonym, or may be anonymous
Add "Love Letter: fic/nonfic/poetry" to the subject line
No character count limit
Hearth & Coffin asks that submittees include their age (if comfortable doing so) and city in Texas (where you live or where you’re from)
In addition to compiling a special edition issue, Hearth & Coffin staff have set up a recurring donation to the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and urge their readers to do the same. Other organizations centering transgender lives in Texas that Hearth & Coffin urges readers to look into include The Mahogany Project, Organización Latina de Trans en Texas, Save Our Sisters United & Save Our Sons & Brothers, and Trans Griot.
Hearth & Coffin is concurrently in the middle of their submission period for the regularly-scheduled Volume 2, Issue 1, titled “What You See Is What You Get”. The timeline for Volume 2, Issue 1 will not be affected by this special edition issue and will proceed as scheduled. Submissions for “What You See…” will close as scheduled on February 28, and the issue will publish as scheduled on March 28.
# # #
About Hearth & Coffin Literary Journal
Hearth & Coffin Literary Journal (Hearth & Coffin) was founded in Houston in 2020 and relocated to New York City in 2021. Founded with the explicit purpose of publishing new and upcoming writers with no submission fees, Hearth & Coffin places priority on provocative, exploratory, and accessible works that thrill and open the minds of readers. Hearth & Coffin editors believe that good writing is good writing, regardless of your degree(s) or lack thereof, your previous publications, your skin color, gender, or age. To learn more, visit www.hearthandcoffin.com or follow us at @HearthAndCoffin on your favorite social platform.