Welcome to Porchlight

Shining a Light on Emerging Southern Voices

When we first began thinking about an online literary journal—when it was just an unrealized whim—we couldn’t have imagined the welcome and support so many writers have offered through encouragement and shared submissions.

After settling on our name, which just felt right, we compiled a wish list of Southern authors, most of them friends and acquaintances as well as writers whose work we admired, and started emailing and asking for submissions.

Southern writers—even ex-pats now living outside the kudzu-swallowed states—are invited to submit to Porchlight in short fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction (including essays). 

Short story authors, we hope, will compete in our first contest, the William Gay Memorial Prize. Guidelines are posted now on this website.

We also hope you’ll support Porchlight with a subscription to further our goal of publishing familiar and emerging voices in Southern literature.

Whether you’re a reader drawn to the grit and grace of Southern fiction or a writer searching for your place in a rich literary tradition, you’ve found your people.

At Porchlight, our mission is simple but powerful: “To champion the evolving voice of Southern literary fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction by lifting up writers and connecting them with a wider audience. We're here to nurture talent, celebrate authentic storytelling, and build a vibrant, inclusive community around the written word.”

Here’s what you can expect:

Interviews with today’s leading Southern authors;

Curated writing contests with real opportunities;

Calls for submissions to share your work;

Editorial services and resources to help you grow.

This is more than a journal — it’s a front porch for conversation, discovery, and storytelling.

 So pull up a chair, stay a while, and stay tuned. There’s a lot of heart, heritage, and hope to be shared here — and we’re just getting started.

Welcome to Porchlight.

Dr. Randy Mackin

Editor-in-Chief

Porchlight: A Journal of Southern Literature

randy@readporchlight.com