Permafrost: Literary Journal

Permafrost: Literary Journal is an American literary magazine associated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. It presents itself as the farthest-north literary journal in the United States, a position that gives the publication a distinctive geographic and cultural identity within the American literary-magazine field. Its editorial scope encompasses poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, interviews, and visual art, combining work by established writers and artists with contributions from emerging authors. The journal operates through the University of Alaska Fairbanks English Department, with substantial participation from students in the university's MFA in Creative Writing program. Its student and volunteer staffing model connects the publication to literary education and gives developing editors practical experience in selection, production, and magazine operations. Rather than functioning as a commercial mass-market title, Permafrost is a university-linked literary publication whose audience includes writers, readers, libraries, arts supporters, and members of the broader small-press community. Alaska is central to the journal's identity. Permafrost has published interviews with Alaskan writers including Gerri Brightwell, Derick Burleson, and Richard Nelson, and its cover art has frequently drawn on Alaskan culture. Featured artists have included painter David Mollett and photographer Larry McNeil. At the same time, the journal's editorial reach extends well beyond regional writing. Its contributors have included internationally recognized or widely known figures such as Allen Ginsberg, Ilya Kaminsky, and Andy Warhol, alongside newer writers including Dan Pinkerton, Billy Thorpe, Siân Griffiths, BJ Hollars, and Brian Oliu. A major related program is the Permafrost Book Prize, an annual competition recognizing a book-length work. The prize has supported poets and writers including Richard Sonnenmoser, whose Science-Magic School won the 2010 competition, as well as earlier winners Briton Shurley, Holly Iglesias, and Laurie O'Brien. The prize broadens Permafrost's role from periodical publisher to literary institution and provides a route for full-length manuscripts to reach readers. The journal marked its thirtieth anniversary in 2008. In that period, reported circulation reached approximately 500 copies, with growth attributed to online sales, increased library interest, and ongoing support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Alaska Humanities Forum. A 2008 issue was described as measuring 8.5 by 5 inches and running 196 pages. These details reflect the physical small-press format of the publication while also illustrating its efforts to expand beyond its remote Alaskan base through distribution and online purchasing. Permafrost's positioning rests on the combination of literary quality, geographic distinction, university participation, and attention to Alaskan artistic culture. Its editorial model allows the journal to place nationally and internationally recognized contributors beside emerging voices, while its book prize and MFA connection reinforce its role in discovering and developing writers. The available reference material does not establish a separate commercial parent company, public listing, or corporate ownership structure; the journal is best understood as a university-affiliated literary publication.

Permafrost: Literary Journal developed as a literary publication connected to the University of Alaska Fairbanks and its English Department. Its location in Fairbanks, far from the major publishing centers of the contiguous United States, became an important part of its institutional and editorial character. The journal has been described as the farthest-north literary journal in the United States, a distinction that differentiates it from university literary magazines whose identities are primarily defined by campus or regional affiliations. The publication's editorial program has included poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and visual art. Its contributors have ranged from recognized writers and artists to emerging authors, reflecting the mixed ecology typical of independent literary journals. Among the better-known contributors associated with the journal are Allen Ginsberg, Ilya Kaminsky, and Andy Warhol. The journal has also published work by Dan Pinkerton, Billy Thorpe, Siân Griffiths, BJ Hollars, and Brian Oliu. This combination of established and newer voices has allowed Permafrost to function both as a literary showcase and as a platform for discovery. Regional and Alaskan culture have remained visible in the journal's presentation. Permafrost has published interviews with Alaskan writers such as Gerri Brightwell, Derick Burleson, and Richard Nelson. Its cover art has often reflected Alaskan cultural themes, including work associated with painter David Mollett and photographer Larry McNeil. The result is a publication that is nationally outward-looking while retaining a clear connection to the cultural setting in which it is produced. The journal is staffed by volunteers from the UAF English Department, particularly students in the MFA in Creative Writing program. This structure ties the magazine to the university's creative-writing community and gives students editorial and publishing experience. It also means that the journal's continuity depends on academic and volunteer participation rather than on a conventional commercial magazine workforce. Permafrost expanded its literary role through an annual book prize. The competition has recognized book-length manuscripts and has included winners such as Laurie O'Brien in 1994, Holly Iglesias in 1999, Briton Shurley in 2007, and Richard Sonnenmoser in 2010 for Science-Magic School. The prize complements the periodical by creating a separate channel for longer works and by strengthening the journal's association with literary discovery. By 2008, Permafrost had reached its thirtieth anniversary. At that time, reported circulation was approximately 500 copies, and the publication was described as growing through online sales and increased library interest. Support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Alaska Humanities Forum also contributed to its ability to operate from a remote location. A typical 2008 issue was reported to be 8.5 by 5 inches and 196 pages long, illustrating the substantial physical format of the journal despite its small circulation. The available material does not identify a founder, a standalone corporate parent, or a detailed succession of editors. It does establish Permafrost as an active University of Alaska Fairbanks literary project with a long-running publication history, a book-prize program, and a dual identity: an Alaska-based institution and a participant in the wider American and international literary-journal community.

• 2010

  Richard Sonnenmoser wins the Permafrost Book Prize

  [1]Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org

  Richard Sonnenmoser won the annual competition with Science-Magic School.

• 2008

  Thirtieth anniversary and reported circulation milestone

  [1]Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org

  Permafrost marked its thirtieth anniversary, while reported circulation reached approximately 500 copies and the journal continued expanding online and through library distribution.

• 2007

  Briton Shurley wins the Permafrost Book Prize

  [1]Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org

  Briton Shurley is identified as the winner of the journal's book prize for the year.

• 1999

  Holly Iglesias wins the Permafrost Book Prize

  [1]Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org

  Holly Iglesias is listed among the past winners of the Permafrost Book Prize.

• 1994

  Laurie O'Brien wins the Permafrost Book Prize

  [1]Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org

  Laurie O'Brien is identified as an earlier winner of the journal's annual book competition.

A university-affiliated, Alaska-centered literary journal combining established and emerging voices across poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and visual art, with a distinctive far-northern identity.

• Literary magazine

  Permafrost literary journal issues

  The journal's core offering is a recurring literary publication featuring poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, and visual art. It has combined work by established figures with writing by emerging contributors and has maintained a strong connection to Alaskan culture through its subject matter, interviews, and cover presentation. The publication is distributed through literary readers, libraries, online sales, and the small-press ecosystem.

• Literary competition and book publication

  Permafrost Book Prize

  The Permafrost Book Prize is an annual competition sponsored by the journal. It recognizes a book-length literary work and extends the publication's role beyond individual magazine issues. Documented winners include Laurie O'Brien, Holly Iglesias, Briton Shurley, and Richard Sonnenmoser, whose winning work was Science-Magic School in 2010.

1. 1Permafrost: Literary Journalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Permafrost official siteuaf.edu