Writers find home in literary journal

Lisle may not be the epicenter of the literary world, but it has its foot in the door thanks to the efforts of publisher and editor Vern Miller.

The Lisle resident offers defining literature in poetry, fiction, essay and photography in his biannual publication Fifth Wednesday Journal.

The literary journal mirrors Miller's enthusiasm for the written word and his ability to draw superb writers. Since its inception, the literary journal has been an ambitious project.

"I've always enjoyed good literature, even as a child," said Miller, who was born in Arkansas. "I earned a Master's degree in German and literature but did not spend my career in that field. I then earned an MBA and returned to the University of Illinois-Chicago in administration."

Five years ago, Miller started a small prose writers workshop called the Fifth Wednesday Writers because the group met four times a year. In a typical year, there are four months with a fifth Wednesday. The group gathered to read each others' manuscripts, which led to constructive discussions and talk about literature in general.

"It evolved in my mind to start a literary journal using local, meaning Illinois, editorial content," Miller said. "From the group, I found others who wanted to help."

The result is the Fifth Wednesday Journal published twice a year by Fifth Wednesday Books Inc. in Lisle. Miller's mission is to stimulate interest in the written word and give writers a vehicle to have their material in print.

Poet James Ballowe, a professor of English emeritus from Bradley University, is the advisory editor. He also teaches nature writing at the Morton Arboretum. Jenn Hollmeyer, a founding member of the editorial team, is the art editor and designer.

Journal submissions are collected year-round following the guidelines on its Web site, fifthwednesdayjournal.com, a resource for writers.

"I have four to six readers for the bulk of the material that comes in," Miller said. "Each piece is read without knowing who wrote it and no submission is carried forward to another issue."

Each submission is judged on its own merits and must be an original, unpublished work written in English. Work may be submitted electronically following instructions on the journal's Web site or on a CD sent to: Fifth Wednesday Journal, P.O. Box 4033, Lisle, IL 60532. No paper submissions are considered.

Submissions for a single issue, which continue to grow, draw between 100 to 150 photographs, 100 creative nonfiction pieces, 500 to 600 short stories and 1,000 poems. Deadline for the 2009 spring issue is Jan. 1.

Within the 190 to 220 pages of each Fifth Wednesday Journal's overall length, there are routinely 30 poems, 12 to 15 pages of photography, 10 to 12 short stories and two nonfiction essays.

Because of the Internet's reach, the current issue's submissions came from more than 20 foreign countries, Miller said.

As an industry, literary journals provide an outlet for quality writers who do not want to invest in the time and commitment it takes to write a book. The journal is also easy to read in short burst of time, such as waiting for the kids in a car pool or lingering over a cup of espresso.

Miller looks for the elements of humanity and truth in every piece of literature for the journal. He wants a compelling read with a fresh and lasting value.

"Short stories are a form a writer chooses on their own strengths as a writer and on the material they are writing," Miller said. "Many good writers have collections of short stories."

For each issue of the journal, an eminent published poet is invited to contribute. For the journal's inaugural issue in the fall of 2007, Illinois Poet Laureate Kevin Stein wrote five selections. His informative Web site, poetlaureate.il.gov, is a resource for poets.

The second issue featured poet Allison Joseph and the newest issue will feature poet Dave Etter from Lanark, Ill.

In future editions, Miller looks forward to continued growth in numbers and quality. He will add a book review of similar journal material to the Spring 2009 issue.

"I want to make sure that in each issue we include someone who has never been published before," Miller said. "We are looking for new voices and have been fortunate so far to have those in the journal."

Since each submission is read with no identification, finding a piece from an unpublished poet or author is a thrill for Miller since it means that poem or essay made it through the process on its own merits.

Hot off the presses, the periodical's fall 2008 issue will be released on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and available shortly after at the Book Nook News in Lisle, Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville and Downers Grove and online. The cost is $10. All three Fifth Wednesday Journals will be available at the Lisle Library.

The release party for the new issue is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Other gatherings are in Chicago and New York City.

Miller wrote in the first issue of the pleasure the very first submission brought to his adventurous staff.

"We boasted with some pride and a lot of excitement that a real writer from somewhere out there in the world had found us and offered us a literary manuscript," Miller wrote. "The exhilaration has not subsided."

• Joan Broz writes about Lisle. E-mail her at jgbroz@yahoo.com.