I have fought against it for years, ran away from it, damn the bulk of it to hell, and still I drive back. It is instinct. It is what birds do. It is something only someone in exile could ever understand. —Lauren Stroh

Your voice, its varied rhythms and registers, was always a surprise and then a wide smile. How is it that you could be anywhere in the whole wide world and still sound like you and us and home? —Zandria F. Robinson 

What makes a place feel like home? Is it an inbuilt connection to the land? Fond memories of a childhood bedroom or family table? A sense of pride and shared community?

The Oxford American is now accepting pitches for our special Summer/Fall 2026 double issue dedicated to Home. It’s an idea as gloriously complicated as the South itself, and we’re interested in works across genres that tackle it from all angles. We think of home as our region, but also as our physical houses and apartments. Home can be our sanctuary, but also our cage. It can represent our connection to a community, and can be troubled by violence, displacement, and loss within that community. It’s deeply personal, but always political.

We want stories about how an idea of a home can change when you leave it, whether by choice or by force. We wonder how our domestic lives—our messy rooms, our packed closets, our dustless collections—reflect or inform the social life of the South. We welcome meditations on homesickness, personal histories of home-making, and polemics against a “home sweet home.” We would love to read critiques of domestic architecture, investigations of threatened ecological homelands, and reports from neighborhoods affected by ICE raids. Where are your second homes, your spiritual homes, and how do they thrive? No subject is too great or small, no setting too famous or too obscure, so long as the story is fresh. We learned long ago to follow our writers’ passions.

We’re seeking reported features, personal essays, short stories, short dispatches and meditations, poems, cultural criticism, and work that does not fit neatly into a specific genre or form. For fiction and poetry, full drafts may be submitted; for nonfiction work, please send us a pitch.

The ideal Oxford American pitch will be well-crafted and thoughtful, with a strong sense of the story’s setting, characters, and narrative possibilities. Enthusiasm, surprise, and originality are essential to an Oxford American essay; please pitch a story rather than a subject. In all pitches, we like to see high quality writing; passion for the subject and command of the idea; an explanation of the scope in the proposed piece; and familiarity with the Oxford American.

Please submit by April 3rd. We will accept pitches on a rolling basis. Drafts will be due beginning in late April. We look forward to hearing from you!

GENERAL INFORMATION

The editorial mission of the Oxford American is to explore the complexity and vitality of the American South. If your work does not somehow engage with the American South—however you choose to define it—it is probably not a good fit for the OA.

We will respond to all pitches and submissions by May 1st, 2026.

The Home Issue will be on newsstands nationwide August 11th, 2026.

Compensation will depend on the length and complexity of the story; all writers will be paid. Generally, fees will range from $300 for short dispatches to $1,500 for reported features.

The Oxford American offers an editorial fellowship program that provides a comprehensive view of editorial work at The Oxford American offers an editorial fellowship program that provides a comprehensive view of editorial work at our nonprofit literary magazine. This program is designed with young professionals in mind, though anyone is welcome to apply. 

We have one 15-20 hours per week position available per term. We offer a stipend of $3,750 per term. Internships begin in February and August. Fellowships can be remote; fellows local to Conway will be expected to report to our offices at least 5 hours per week.

We accept applications for both terms year-round but please note the following deadlines: 

• December 1 for fellowships starting in February
• June 1 for fellowships starting in August

Fellows are a vital part of the Oxford American’s print and digital production teams, and work closely with the magazine’s full-time editors throughout the production process. Duties include evaluating pitches and manuscript submissions, participating in issue planning through weekly editorial meetings, and fact checking pieces for print. Fellows are also encouraged to participate in our off-site events.

Our ideal applicant has experience in fact checking, research, or reporting; is highly organized and self-motivated; seeks to develop their professional skills in editing or publishing; and demonstrates an enthusiasm for the Oxford American’s mission, as well as an understanding of the tone, style, and scope of the pieces we publish. 

Applications should include a detailed cover letter, résumé, and one writing sample of up to 5 pages in length. Your sample could be one long piece or a collection of short pieces. (Samples can include critical and/or creative work, though a substantial portion should be prose.) Please specify the term for which you are applying. 

Applications will be responded to no later than 2 weeks after the application deadline. Please send any questions to submissions@oxfordamerican.org. Thank you for your interest.