Zyzzyva is a triannual literary magazine based in San Francisco. It showcases established and emerging voices, including never before published writers. Launched in 1985 as a response to alleged East Coast bias against West Coast writers, the magazine still focuses on California writers, but has expanded to include national and international voices. ZYZZYVAs motto is "The Last Word," referring to "zyzzyva," the last word in the American Heritage Dictionary. A zyzzyva is an American weevil. The accent is on the first syllable.
The magazine features full-color prints in every issue. It has been described as "masterfully edited and sharply cerebral."
Editors
The founder was Howard Junker.
In 2023, Managing Editor Oscar Villalon became editor-in-chief, the third editor in the publication's history.
Awards
Work from the magazine has received the Pushcart Prize and the O. Henry Award and has been included in The Best American Short Stories
Novels
Boonville, by Robert Mailer Anderson was a "Zyzzyva First Novel," published in 2001 by the Creative Arts Book Company.
See also
- List of literary magazines
References
External links
- Guide to the Zyzzyva records at The Bancroft Library