SWING, the lit mag published by Nashville’s longstanding literary collective, was thrilled to receive the Firecracker Award from the national Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) for the Best Debut Magazine of the Year on June 27.

Here’s what the judges had to say: “SWING has made a bold outing as a journal that gathers evocative, fine-tuned writing from the South and beyond. The debut issue is characterized by musical, deftly-formed poems, stories that conjure rich psychological and physical landscapes, and essays that embrace contradiction and irresolution. The editors’ thoughtful, and sometimes sly, juxtapositions of pieces made the journal a delight to read, and one where questions of place, family, change, and uncertainty ripple through its pages. The journal drew us in with the clear and crisp design of its print volume and website, as well as its welcoming tone and ethos. SWING is a journal to read from front to back, and a testament to the literary community that its publisher, The Porch, has built in Nashville for years.” Go to <https://www.clmp.org/press-cen...; for more information.

Co-editor, Leigh Anne Couch, said, “It was so exciting to receive this recognition on the heels of our new issue featuring 44 writers, nine of whom have participated in Porch programming, two of whom are appearing in print for the first time. And we even have comics, thank you Andrew Kozlowski and Kelcey Ervick! I am not ashamed to say that SWING is for writers (not solely, not merely, but proudly).”

Because the editors of SWING are writers themselves, they engage with the magazine as they engage with language, as a living thing, adapting to its circumstances, while hauling its past behind — a sometimes useful, and always essential burden that must be acknowledged, especially in the South.

From its advisory board to its calls for submissions, SWING strives for inclusivity, with content that represents diverse backgrounds and communities, both challenging to and reflecting of our understanding of the South’s shifting cultural landscape. We are building something here in Nashville, something that we hope will challenge, will reach out and pull you in. We are here to stay.

Because of the support of The Sandra Schatten Foundation, we can now pay our writers in more than deepest gratitude and contributor copies. We are writers at The Porch and we all know writing is labor, which should be compensated. Huge thanks to the Sandra Schatten Foundation.

We still have a ways to go, though, in terms of full support and creating a lasting foundation for SWING. If you’re able to help support the vibrant voice of both emerging and established writers, we invite you to join the SWING Shift <https://www.flipcause.com/secu...;. Help keep literature vibrant and accessible in our community and beyond.