This online journal is for critical and creative works. It is listed in the MLA International Bibliography, the MLA Directory of Periodicals, the EBSCO Humanities International Complete directory, and the Electronic Collection of Library and Archives Canada. The business is registered in Pennsylvania. An "In Brief" article about the Journal, by the Editor, was published in the November/December 2009 Issue of the D-Lib Magazine.

The Pennsylvania Literary Journal is created to make a positive contribution to literary criticism and to the arts around the world, and, more narrowly, in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The first Summer Issue, "Experiments," is now available, click on the red link below to access it. No requirements were set on the length, type, style, genre and the like for the submissions. Thus, the work reflects the various interpretations that the writers had of the topic, “Experiments.” Yuko Ashitagawa discusses the relationship between fantasy and reality as a borderland, where unique experiments can be created. Christopher Ryan Schott is concerned with the relationship between radical experimental changes in the mass media and the depravity in American culture. John Greiner and Janna Serniak’s poems experiment with form and style. Some of the experiments submitted were too wild for us to share with you. An “experiment” is a test of a hypothesis. Any critical or creative argument is an experiment. Experiments are not carried out to show the absurdity of the attempt, but rather to prove the feasibility of the original idea.

The Next Issue: “Politics and Literature: Controversial and Revolutionary Fiction” will come out in the winter of 2009. Classical authors frequently blended politics with fiction. Dumas and Shakespeare’s histories and tragedies, Stowe, Dickens and Twain’s abolitionist agenda, Swift’s sarcastic and the realists’ and naturalists’ melancholic anti-poverty and corruption stands, Cooper’s plea for the rights of the Native Americans, and Conrad’s protest against colonialism are some examples of canonical encounters between the causes of social justice and literary interpretations or portrayals of the ills that plague humanity. Essays on the edges and even outside of this topic will be welcomed as well, but, those that explore it will be given priority. All literary periods from the beginning of written thought to the present day are relevant. The writers studied can be from any nation, gender, sexual orientation and the like. Please do translate all foreign words in endnotes into English, so that your English-speaking readers can understand every word of your argument. Poetry does not need to have a political slant, but political poetry is especially coveted.

News: If you would like a copy of most of the Summer 2009 Issue in one document, please open the file attached to this website titled - "PLJ - Printable Version." It is a PDF version, because the Word version takes too long to download. Please email the Editor, if you would like a Word version. This website will expand and will be improved, so check it, and especially the Announcements page, frequently to see the newest updates.

Submissions: are welcomed in poetry, book reviews and non-fiction essays. The primary interest is critical academic essays and book reviews, of which there were too few submitted this time around. Poets can submit as many poems as they would like to share. The poems can be as long or as short as you choose. Essays should be at least 15 double-spaced pages long, and can be as long as 35 double-spaced pages. All content should be appropriate for a reasoning, academic audience. You will be required to send an Abstract for essays, and an Artist's Statement for poetry. In addition, at the time when your submission is accepted you will be asked to write a short Biography. Both of these should be under 200 words. You are welcome to submit these in advance of the publishing decision, to inform the Editor of your background and to explain your work. All will receive editing advice after or before their work is accepted for publication. If you are not interested in editorial assistance, this might not be the right project for you. Since this is a not-for-profit project, and neither the Editor, nor those who are published should expect payment, please look at this Journal as a place to share your work, and submit what you want others to see on the web.

Queries: If you do not have a finished project or if you are uncertain about which paper to send, you are welcome to send a query with an idea, and you will be advised on the feasibility of the project. 

Formatting Guidelines: you are welcome to mimic the formatting that is used in the Summer 2009 Issue. Critical essays should only have Endnotes, rather than Footnotes. The preferred reference style is the Modern Languages Assocation style. Use standard spelling and grammar. Avoid repetition that detracts from the reader's ability to appreciate your argument. Double-space your submissions, so that the Peer-Review members and the Editor can fit their comments in the margins in a Word processor. If you have drawn a picture, or can obtain the rights to a picture that you think will work for your submission, you are welcome to send this suggestion along with your work. E-Mail a cover letter with your submission. In this letter state if you are able to do light or heavy editing, or both, or if you prefer that the Editor should edit your work without your input. All projects will need some editing, even if only a couple of commas need to be added. So, do not submit to this Journal if you are not willing to accept any editing advice or assistance.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Editor, Anna Faktorovich, a Graduate Assistant in the English Literature and Criticism PhD program, at pennsylvaniajournal@gmail.com, if you have any comments, questions, concerns, submissions, or if you are interested in helping with this project. Further information about the Editor can be found at, http://sites.google.com/site/annafaktorovich. Her Curriculum Vitae and her credo on “Hypertext,” (this is an early version of an essay that is scheduled for publication in the UK in the next couple of months), are also attached to this page. Please read the credo if you are uncertain about publishing your work for free on the web, and for interesting information about online texts.

Copyrights for the work published in this online Journal are held by the Publisher/ Editor, Anna Faktorovich. The Editor/ Publisher must retain the rights to these works in order to market them and potentially sell them online, and later, potentially, in print. The writers agree to allow the proprietor to "copy" and possibly sell their work. There are many costs in this venture, and any profits earned in the first years are not likely to cover the expenses. This is the reason authors (at this time) are not paid for allowing the Pennsylvania Literary Journal to reproduce their work. The Editor paid $35 to obtain mendatory serial copyrights for the first Issue, and will pay $35 for each of the future issues. As you can see, at this time the costs are greater than the profits. PLJ Profit (so far) = $0 + experience. Please do not send material that you did not author, cannot surrender copyrights to, plagiarized, or those with inappropriate content.

Donations and Membership Fees: are now accepted. Since the business is registered in Pennsylvania, we can now accept donations, gifts and the like. Feel free to mail as little as $1, or as much as you can afford and your assistance will be greately appreciated. The initial goal for this fundraiser is to raise $35 by December to pay for the copyrights for the Winter Issue. Checks, money orders or cash can be mailed to: Anna Faktorovich (Editor), 1800 Lisa Drive, #2, Indiana, PA 15701.

List of Honorable Donors:

Brian Cope - Indiana University of Pennsylvania (During the EAPSU Conference)

Many thanks for every dollar!