Two years ago at a book fair and writing conference in Los Angeles, Hotel Amerika staff passed out eye-catching promotional postcards. On the front, an image of dancer Fred Astaire mid-leap, a manic smile stretched across his face. On the back, a quote by author James Geary: “When in doubt, remain in doubt.”
The image appears on the cover of Volume 14, dubbed the TransGenre Issue. The Geary quote speaks to the playfulness of the issue and to the 15-year-old literary magazine’s particular aesthetic. “We love work in any genre. We’ve published startling essays, poetry, fiction, prose poetry over the years,” says editor David Lazar. “But I and my fellow editors also like to confuse the issue.”