New Lit on the Block :: Sink Hollow

Sink Hollow is a landmark of Logan Canyon, at the mouth of which stands Utah State University and its iconic Old Main Building bell tower. In the canyon, Sink Hollow refers to a series of depressions that trap cold air, causing the hollows to be noticeably colder than the rest of the canyon. Visitors can expect to find frost on a July afternoon in the sinks.

Sink Hollow is a landmark of Logan Canyon, at the mouth of which stands Utah State University and its iconic Old Main Building bell tower. In the canyon, Sink Hollow refers to a series of depressions that trap cold air, causing the hollows to be noticeably colder than the rest of the canyon. Visitors can expect to find frost on a July afternoon in the sinks.

But frost is the last thing readers can expect to find settling on one of the hottest new online publications, Sink Hollow: An Undergraduate Literary Magazine. Publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art, Sink Hollow is edited by USU students who have completed introductory and advance creative writing workshops on campus. Founding co-editor and graduate student, Shay Larsen adds, “We don’t like to brag, but our staff are truly USU’s most outstanding creative writers.” And as genre readers interested in new forms, Larsen says they will consider “just about any subcategory of genres you can imagine (flash, comic, experimental, etc.); we’re willing to give a shot!”

Sink Hollow entered the literary scene to be a springboard for emerging undergraduate writers. “Any undergraduate trying to get published knows how difficult it can be when going toe-to-toe with the big dogs,” Larsen comments. “Often, good work is buried under the noise of hundreds of submissions from authors who’ve had the advantage of playing the publishing game for years. With how the publishing world is shaping up recently, it’s more important than ever for undergraduates to have a venue that listens to them, and only them. The other reason for Sink Hollow‘s creation was the overwhelming amount of support from USU students (soon to be staff) that felt our campus was missing the life-blood of creativity, professionalism, and passion that only a literary journal can provide.”

This editorial energy and professional intellectualism produce “quality, quality, quality” for readers to enjoy, Larsen touts. “The writers and works featured in Sink Hollow struck our genre editors and readers as truly special. We’re very proud of all our writers and can only promise that each page of Sink Hollow is worthy of commemoration. These works surprise, linger, sink inside us, and stay there. They aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

For writers, Larsen comments that, “Early on in the literary journal’s creation we decided to feature quality over quantity. The pieces chosen for publication in Sink Hollow are simply the best.” Submissions are accepted through Submittable and reviewed blindly by genre editors and readers.

The future for Sink Hollow Larsen tells me is staying focused on building the publication’s publishing reputation. “Right now we’re trying to get as many issues under our belt as possible before tackling other goals. Publishing an amazing journal twice a year is priority #1. Though there is no doubt that Sink Hollow‘s capacity for growth is beyond imagination.”

Sink Hollow publishes via Issuu twice a year (November and April) with the possibility of adding a summer edition.