Witness seeks original fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and artwork that is innovative in its approach, broad-ranging in its concerns, and bold in its perspective. The magazine blends the features of a literary and an issue-oriented magazine to highlight the role of the modern writer as witness to their times.
Our mission is to amplify extraordinary voices, feature writers from every part of the globe, and highlight pieces that speak to the present moment in an enduring and distinctive way. The magazine seeks to open up conversations surrounding oppression and transcendence, prejudice and compassion, fear and raw honesty. The editorial team is also proud to feature the work of emerging voices alongside that of established writers.
History
Launched in Detroit in 1987, the magazine is best known for showcasing work that defines its historical moment; special issues have focused on political oppression, religion, the natural world, crime, aging, civil rights, love, ethnic America, and exile. The issues “New Nature Writing,” “The Sixties,” “Sports in America,” and “The Best of Witness, 1987 – 2004” eventually appeared as university press anthologies.
In 2007, Witness moved to the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The magazine now publishes one special print issue and one general online issue each year and increasingly seeks out work that contextualizes the writer’s experience by highlighting issues of global concern.
Masthead
Current:
Editor Areej Quraishi
Managing Editor Benjamin Stallings
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editors Tanya Shirazi & Xueyi Zhou
Nonfiction Editor Dominque Conway
Poetry Editor John B. Oldenborg
Editorial Assistant Charlie Bartlett
Faculty Advisor Maile Chapman
Publisher Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter – Black Mountain Institute
Founding Editor Peter Stine (1987-2006)
Founding Publisher Sidney A. Lutz
Editors Emeritae Amber Withycombe (2007-2012); Maile Chapman (2012-2018);
Hanna Andrews (2018-2019); Jarret Keene (2019-2020); Emily Setina (2020-2021); Robert Ren (2021-2022)
Fall/Winter 2022
Editor Robert Ren
Managing Editor Christina Berke
Assistant Managing Editor Benjamin Stallings
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi
Assistant Fiction Editor Xueyi Zhou
Poetry Editor Jo O’Lone-Hahn
Nonfiction Editor Mir Arif
Editorial Assistant Oona Robertson
Faculty Advisor Maile Chapman
Readers Erika Abad, Helen Armstrong, Justine Baker, Charlie Bartlett, Audrey Bauman, Sara Brown, Alycia Calvert, Cristina Cisneros, Post Earth, Jordan Forest, Sara Guiang, Henry Gunderson, Stephen Ira, Eli Jacobs, Veronica Klash, Alice Letowt, Nicole Minton, Lynda Montgomery, Jesse Motte, Ezra Noel, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Amanda Santana, Vandana Sehrawat, Marlan Smith, Sarah Spaulding, Kelly Stith, Sara Tausendfreund, Tonya Todd, Olivia Williams
Spring 2022 – Missed Connections
Editor Robert Ren
Managing Editor Christina Berke
Engagement & Design Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi
Nonfiction Editor Mir Arif
Poetry Editor Jo O’Lone-Hahn
Editorial Assistant Oona Robertson
Contributing Editors Alycia Calvert, Emma Hardy, Henry Gunderson, Eli Jacobs, Nicole Minton, Ezra Noel, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Amanda Santana, Marlan Smith,
Ben Socolofsky, Sarah Spaulding, Sara Tausendfreund, Olivia Williams, Sara Guiang
Readers Erika Abad, Justine Baker, Charlie Bartlett, Alexis Noel Brooks, Veronica Klash, Alice Letowt, Laurel Miram, Jesse Motte, Mark Ranchez, Benjamin Stallings, Vandana Sehrawat, Tonya Todd
Faculty Advisor Maile Chapman
Fall 2021
Editor-in-Chief Emily Setina
Managing Editor Christina Berke
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Robert Ren
Assistant Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi
Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino
Poetry Editor Andrew Collard
Readers Erika Abad, Steven Aiken, Mir Arif, Justine Baker, Alexis Noel Brooks, Soni Brown, Alycia Calvert, Cristina Cisneros, Dylan Cloud, Emily Daniel, Win Frederick, Sara Guiang, Stephen Ira, Eli Jacobs, Veronica Klash, Kelly Lindell, Lynda Montgomery, Jesse Motte, Stephanie O’Brien, John Oldenborg, Jennifer Quintanilla, Mark Ranchez, Flavia Stefani Resende, Chelsi Sayti, Vandana Sehrawat, Sarah Spaulding, Benjamin Stallings, Jordan Sutlive, Sara Tausendfreund, Tonya Todd, Erin Turner
Spring 2021
Editor-in-Chief Emily Setina
Managing & Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Robert Ren
Assistant Fiction Editor Areej Quraishi
Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino
Poetry Editor Heather Lang-Cassera
Readers Alexis Noel Brooks, Alycia Calvert, Benjamin Stallings, Chelsi Sayti, Claire Mullen, Dylan Cloud, Erin Turner, Flavia Stefani Resende, Jennifer Quintanilla, Jeremy Freeman, Jesse Motte, John Oldenborg, Jonquil Harris, Jordan Sutlive, Justine Baker, Kelly Lindell, Lynda Montgomery, Mir Arif, Percy Kerry, Sara Guiang, Sara Tausendfreund, Sarah Spaulding, Stephanie O’Brien, Stephen Ira, Steven Aiken, Talia Aharoni, Tonya Todd, Vandana Sehrawat, Veronica Klash, Win Frederick
Fall/Winter 2020
Editor-in-chief Jarret Keene & Emily Setina
Managing & Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer
Assistant Fiction Editor Robert Ren
Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino
Poetry Editor Lindsay Olson
Readers Anthony Farris, Dylan Fisher, Ruth Larmore, Kathryn McKenzie, Chantelle Mitchell, Flavia Stefani, Jordan Sutlive, Ariana Turiansky, Alexandra Murphy, Bronwyn Scott-McCharen, Carrieann Cahall, Ilanit Moskul, Jo Hahn, Marycourtney Ning, Sanjana Gothi, Sarah Spaulding
Spring Issue 2020
Editor-in-chief Jarret Keene
Managing Editor Tamar Peterson
Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer
Assistant Fiction Editor Robert Ren
Nonfiction Editor Cody Gambino
Poetry Editor Samuel Gilpin
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Design Editor Erin Piasecki
Subscription Managers Ana Jimenez, Samantha Goodman
Readers Anthony Farris, Dylan Fisher, Ruth Larmore, Kathryn McKenzie, Chantelle Mitchell, Lindsay Olson, Flavia Stefani, Jordan Sutlive, Ariana Turiansky, Alexandra Murphy, Bronwyn Scott-McCharen, Carrieann Cahall, Ilanit Moskul, Jo Hahn, Marycourtney Ning, Sanjana Gothi, Sarah Spaulding
Fall/Winter Issue 2019
Editor-in-chief Jarret Keene
Managing Editor Tamar Peterson
Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer
Assistant Fiction Editor Robert Ren
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Poetry Editor Samuel Gilpin
Engagement Editor Lindsay Olson
Readers Antonie Aquino, Jamison Crabtree, Spencer Darr, Kelly Elcock, Anthony Farris, Cody Gambino, Dylan Fisher, Roy Johnson, Ruth Larmore, Leisa Loan, Kathryn McKenzie, Chantelle Mitchell, Erin Piasecki, Daynee Rosales, Karli Rouse, Chelsi Sayti, Kate Shapiro, Flavia Stefani, Jordan Sutlive, Ariana Turiansky
Spring Issue 2019
Managing Editor Hanna Andrews
Poetry Editor Samuel Gilpin
Assistant Poetry Editor Sreshtha Sen
Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer & Joe Milan Jr.
Assistant Fiction Editor Ernie Wang
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Editorial Assistant Carrieann Cahall
Assistant Managing Editor Tamar Peterson
Social Media Assistant Cristina Cisneros
Readers Antonie Aquino, Jamison Crabtree, Spencer Darr, Kelly Elcock, Anthony Farris, Dylan Fisher, Roy Johnson, Ruth Larmore, Leisa Loan, Kathryn McKenzie, Chantelle Mitchell, Lindsay Olson, Erin Piasecki, Daynee Rosales, Karli Rouse, Chelsi Sayti, Kate Shapiro, Flavia Stefani, Jordan Sutlive, Ariana Turiansky
Winter Issue 2018
Managing Editor Hanna Andrews
Poetry Editor Oscar Oswald & Sam Gilpin
Assistant Poetry Editor Sreshtha Sen
Fiction Editor Joe Milan Jr. & Wendy Wimmer
Assistant Fiction Editor Ernie Wang
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Editorial Assistants Katie McKenzie, Kate Shapiro
Social Media Cristina Cisneros
Readers Carrieann Cahall, Jamison Crabtree, Kelly Elcock, Dylan Fisher, Kathryne Gargano, Danielle Henry, Roy Johnson, Angelo Ligori, Claire Morgan, Karli Rouse, Kate Shapiro, Ariana Turiansky
Summer Issue 2018
Editor-in-chief Maile Chapman
Managing Editor Dan Hernandez
Poetry Editor Oscar Oswald
Assistant Poetry Editor Sam Gilpin
Fiction Editor Joe Milan Jr.
Assistant Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Editorial Assistants Katie McKenzie, Kate Shapiro
Readers Carrieann Cahall, Jamison Crabtree, Kelly Elcock, Dylan Fisher, Roy Johnson, Karli Rouse, Kate Shapiro, Ariana Turiansky, Ernie Wang
Spring Issue 2018
Editor-in-chief Maile Chapman
Managing Editor Dan Hernandez
Poetry Editors Hanna Andrews & Oscar Oswald
Assistant Poetry Editor Sam Gilpin
Fiction Editors Lorinda Toledo & Joe Milan Jr.
Assistant Fiction Editor Wendy Wimmer
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Editorial Assistants Carrieann Cahall, Katie McKenzie, Kate Shapiro
Readers Christine Bettis, Tim Buchanan, Carrieann Cahall, Kelly Elcock, Danielle Henry, Angelo Ligori, Becky Robison, Timea Sipos, Jack Stilwell, Ariana Turiansky, Ernie Wang
Winter Issue 2017
Editor-in-chief Maile Chapman
Managing Editor Dan Hernandez
Poetry Editor Hanna Andrews
Assistant Poetry Editor Oscar Oswald
Fiction Editor Lorinda Toledo
Assistant Fiction Editor Joe Milan Jr.
Nonfiction Editor Scott Hinkle
Social Media Carrieann Cahall, Katie McKenzie, Kate Shapiro
Readers Wendy Wimmer, Sam Gilpin, Noha Al-Badry, Christine Bettis, Tim Buchanan, Carrieann Cahall, Kelly Elcock, Danielle Henry, Angelo Ligori, Ryan Molloy, Becky Robison, Timea Sipos, Jack Stilwell, Ariana Turiansky, Ernie Wang
Contact
Witness
Black Mountain Institute
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Box 455085
Las Vegas, NV 89154-5085
witness[at]unlv.edu
Etc.
Booksellers can order Witness through Ingram Periodicals, Ubiquity Distributors, and Armadillo Trading, Inc.
Witness is a proud member of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses [CLMP].
