Coal City Review

Coal City Review is an annual literary journal published through the University of Kansas English MFA Program in the United States. The journal has been issued since 1989 and presents a mix of contemporary literary writing and visual work, including poetry, prose, literary reviews, and illustrations. Its editorial identity is connected to the creative-writing and academic environment of the University of Kansas, while its contents include work by a broad range of contributors rather than being limited to university-affiliated writers. The Review is edited by Brian Daldorph, who has been associated with the journal since its founding period. Across its documented volumes, the publication has featured individual poems, short fiction, reviews, and other literary contributions by writers including Jackie Bartley, Jack Granath, Jarret Keene, Gary Lechliter, Alana Merritt Mahaffey, Catherine McCraw, Bryan Penberthy, Corrina Wycoff, and Byron Case. The journal's contents demonstrate an interest in varied forms and subjects, from personal and observational poetry to short stories and literary criticism. Coal City Review has also periodically focused attention on a single writer or body of work. One documented example is its association with Matthew Porubsky, whose voyeur poems were highlighted in connection with the 2006 Nelson Poetry Book Award. The journal's broader publication record includes work by John Musgrave and Gary Lechliter, reflecting an editorial scope that extends beyond individual issues into relationships with authors and book-length literary projects. Documented volumes include issue numbers in the mid-teens through the thirties, with contributions appearing in volumes 15, 19, 20, 21, and 36. Examples include material published in October 2000, July 2003, January 2005, 2006, and 2015. These records indicate the journal's continuity over several decades, although the available reference material does not establish its current publication frequency, latest issue, circulation, distribution model, or present editorial staff beyond the documented editorship of Brian Daldorph. As a literary-journal brand, Coal City Review is positioned around the discovery and presentation of literary writing rather than commercial mass publishing. Its principal offering is the annual journal itself, supplemented by selected author-related publications and a history of showcasing emerging and established voices. Financial information, a standalone website, corporate ownership structure, and current operating status are not documented in the supplied sources.

Coal City Review was established in 1989 as an annual literary journal connected with the University of Kansas English MFA Program. From its beginning, the publication operated within the university's creative-writing context while presenting work by a wider group of writers. Its editorial format has included poetry, prose, reviews, and illustrations, giving the journal a mixed literary and visual profile rather than concentrating on a single genre. Brian Daldorph has edited the Review since its founding period. The documented run of volumes shows that the journal continued across multiple decades. Contributions are recorded in volume 15 from October 2000, volume 19 from July 2003, volume 20 from January 2005, volume 21 from 2006, and volume 36 from 2015. These records suggest sustained publication and provide a partial view of the journal's chronology, although they do not document every issue or establish whether the numbering corresponds precisely to annual publication without interruptions. The journal has published a range of literary forms. Poetry contributions include Jack Granath's bicycle-themed and millennial poems, Jackie Bartley's "Trip to Spain," Alana Merritt Mahaffey's work concerning an abandoned shotgun shack, Bryan Penberthy's poems "Thanks" and "Through Ice," and Byron Case's "Migration." The Review has also carried short fiction, such as Corrina Wycoff's "The Shell Game," as well as reviews including Jarret Keene's "Monster Fashion." Other named contributors include Marie C. Jones, Joel Long, Carrie Oeding, and James R. Whitley. At times, Coal City Review has given special attention to an individual author. Matthew Porubsky's voyeur poems were associated with the journal's 2006 coverage and with the 2006 Nelson Poetry Book Award. The publication record also identifies books by or connected with contributors, including John Musgrave's Vietnam War poetry, published in separate volumes in 2001 and 2004, and Gary Lechliter's Under the Fool Moon, published in 2001. These entries indicate that the journal's literary network has included authors working in book-length poetry as well as shorter journal forms. Coal City Review's historical significance lies primarily in its long-running role as a university-associated literary periodical. It has served as a venue for poetry, fiction, reviews, and illustrations, and its contributor list records a mixture of writers whose work appeared in individual issues and authors who received more sustained attention. The supplied reference material does not provide reliable information about circulation, subscription pricing, print runs, digitization, distribution outside the United States, current publication status, or a current official website. Accordingly, the journal's present-day operations cannot be confirmed from the available sources.

• 2015

  Volume 36 published

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Byron Case's poem "Migration" appeared in volume 36, providing a later documented example of the journal's continuing publication history.

• 2006

  Volume 21 and Porubsky feature

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The Review documented work including Jack Granath's "On Becoming a Poet" and Corrina Wycoff's short story "The Shell Game," while also spotlighting Matthew Porubsky's voyeur poems in connection with the 2006 Nelson Poetry Book Award.

• 2005

  Volume 20 published

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The January 2005 volume included Bryan Penberthy's poems "Thanks" and "Through Ice."

• 2003

  Volume 19 published

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The July 2003 volume included poetry, prose, and reviews by contributors including Jackie Bartley, Jack Granath, Jarret Keene, Gary Lechliter, Alana Merritt Mahaffey, and Catherine McCraw.

• 2000

  Volume 15 published

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Volume 15, dated October 2000, included poetry by Jack Granath, including work written while repairing a bicycle and a millennial-themed poem.

• 1989

  Journal founded

  [1]Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Coal City Review began publication as an annual literary journal associated with the University of Kansas English MFA Program. Brian Daldorph is documented as its editor from this period.

An academically affiliated literary journal focused on poetry, prose, reviews, illustrations, and the presentation of diverse contemporary writers.

• Annual literary journal · 1989

  Coal City Review

  The journal's core product is an annual issue containing a mixture of poetry, prose, literary reviews, and illustrations. Documented issues carry sequential volume numbers and include contributions from a range of writers, with occasional emphasis on a particular author or literary project.

• Poetry feature · 2006

  Voyeur Poetry

  Matthew Porubsky's voyeur poems were highlighted by Coal City Review as an example of the journal's occasional focus on one author. The work is associated with the 2006 Nelson Poetry Book Award.

• Book-length literary publications

  Selected contributor publications

  The journal's documented publication network includes book-length works such as Gary Lechliter's Under the Fool Moon and John Musgrave's Vietnam War poetry volumes. The available source identifies these publications alongside the Review but does not establish that Coal City Review itself was the publisher of every title.

1. 1Coal City Reviewen.wikipedia.org