about

Mission and History

The Pinch is a nationally recognized literary journal published by the University of Memphis. Our name is derived from the historic Pinch District in Memphis, once a residential area for Irish immigrants and Jewish merchants. By referencing one of Memphis’ first communities, we aim to reflect the heart of our city’s history and the soul of our creative approach as we publish diverse voices that speak from the periphery, as well as the center, of contemporary written and artistic expression.
In addition to representing Memphis and the university, our mission is to provide creative writing students with experience in literary publishing and to publish works of literary and artistic quality. We publish fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art, and receive submissions from both established and emerging writers from all over the world.

The Pinch was founded by Professor William Page in 1980, under the name Memphis State Review. Although for the previous two decades, the students of the English department had published their own work in the form of a magazine called Phoenix, the Memphis State Review was the first journal out of the university to reach the level of national recognition. With the help of NEA funding, Page was able to recruit many well-known writers to contribute to the publication, including Robert Bly, Philip Levine, Mary Oliver, Robert Penn Warren, and Margaret Atwood.

In 1988, along with the formation of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program, Page handed his faculty editor position over to Sharon Bryan and the journal went through a name change, becoming River City. Bryan led MFA students in the production of the journal for the next five years, their most notable issue being the Spring 1993 issue, entitled “Where We Stand: Women Poets on Literary Tradition,” which was later published as a book by W.W. Norton & Company. Following Bryan in 1994, faculty editor Paul Naylor promoted River City as “A Journal of Contemporary Culture” which focused on criticism and special topics such as “China” and “The Blues.” From 1998 to 2001, Thomas Russell returned the journal to its focus on creative work and centered each issue around a theme such as “The Other (Inside Us)” and “Luck.” Russell also published a special issue for the 20th Anniversary of the River City Writers Series, featuring the works of famous authors such as Donald Justice, Marvin Bell, Adrienne Rich, Lucille Clifton, Mary Gaitskill, John Updike, and Margaret Skinner, as well as the photography of William Eggleston. In 2002, Mary Leader became faculty editor, moving the journal away from themes and emphasizing poetry.

The current faculty advisor, Kristen Iversen, came to us in 2005. Under her leadership, the journal has transitioned to its new name, The Pinch, and has incorporated more creative nonfiction in addition to fiction and poetry. In recent years, our contributors have also included Linda Gregerson, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Scott Russell Sanders.

While the editors of the journal have always been committed to a high level of quality for its content, the journal has undergone significant improvements in appearance over the years. Originally a saddle-stitch (staple) bound journal with a cardstock cover, it moved to a perfect (flat edge) binding in 1987 and then glossy cover in 1994. In 1995, the journal also began printing artwork, first in black and white, and then, in 2000, in color. In 2005, the editorial staff decided to move to a heavier weight, glossy paper for the inside pages of the journal as well. Most recently, with the help of Gary Golightly, Graphic Design Program Coordinator of the University of Memphis Art Department, we have undergone a new design for The Pinch logo and cover, resulting in the high-quality product you see today.