An interview with James Allen Hall, Editor-in-Chief

Cherry Tree is relatively young—founded in 2014—but has already received great attention. How did it get started?
Cherry Tree is rooted at the Rose O’Neill Literary House and its publishing arm, The Literary House Press. About a decade ago, Jehanne Dubrow, then the press director, revivified the Lit House Press as a national publisher. Five years later, she and I began dreaming about putting together a national literary journal that would be staffed by writers at all levels of their careers. Cherry Tree was born out of a particular vision that wants to champion image-rich, sonically pleasing work that appeals to a reader’s intellect and emotion. Cherry Tree’s aesthetic asks for a fair bit of whimsy, wit, and play, but also risk and urgency. About four years ago, when I took the helm, we started publishing our “literary shade” section, featuring work that speaks back to and dismantles oppressive social structures.

What is the process like for Cherry Tree in approaching its open reading periods?
First up is our Spring Training: I teach a course in literary editing and publishing for would-be student screeners. The course not only examines Cherry Tree’s aesthetic but also covers current topics in editing and publishing, paying special attention to inclusivity and diversity. The top students are eligible to become screeners, and we work with them in the summer to calibrate their reading acumen. Our genre editors do light solicitation beginning about May, but we are committed to including emerging voices. Our contributing editors are especially on the lookout for these writers, and we have been proud to be the place of first publication for writers. Under 10% of the writers in any issue are encouraged or solicited to submit. One thing I love about working on Cherry Tree is how excited we get about pieces that blow our minds. Editors will text each other, and say, “Stop what you’re doing right now and go read this poem.” It feels like discovering the love of language all over again. Before a piece is rejected, it is read by editorial staff to ensure that our screeners and senior readers haven’t missed a jewel. We take the work seriously. The submission volume is overwhelming at times, and I can’t say that we haven’t missed out on some terrific pieces, but we do our absolute best to honor the writers who send us their work.

What are a few things you’re excited about in the world of contemporary literature?
I’m excited that contemporary literature, and in particularly literary magazines, remain a site of coalescence and protest, an urgent archive of human thought and feeling, particularly in this political moment. I love how journals like Bennington Review, The Offing, Adroit, Black Warrior Review, and West Branch (among many others) continue to explore our encounters with the beautiful and the human. I’m excited that writers who have been historically pushed to the margins are reclaiming the center and destabilizing the power structures that have allowed for and mandated their silences. I’m also excited that literary journals are doing more collaborative work, that they are seeking out more hybridity, and that they continue to maintain a vital and inclusive space where the weird and the beautiful are synonyms.

Finally, what’s next for Cherry Tree?
We’re already gearing up for Issue 7, which will feature artwork by Gerardo Villarreal. We’d love to expand and include an arts section in coming issues. We’re exploring ideas of incorporating letterpress into the journal (perhaps through our broadside series), and we may soon offer a contest, so that we can keep building our mission of supporting writers who risk everything to say what only they can say.

Website: https://www.washcoll.edu/centers/lithouse/cherry-tree/