Welcome to the PHIL LIT JOURNAL

Literature and Art that questions, stirs, and stays

Dear readers, writers, and wanderers—

Welcome. You’ve found the first page of a new story: PHIL LIT JOURNAL is a seasonal literary publication dedicated to literature that seeks to understand. Work that offers not just observation, but orientation.

PHIL LIT is for those who write like the world depends on it.

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Who We Are

We are honored to be led by our Editor-in-Chief, Lauren Geiser, a poet and attorney based in Los Angeles. Lauren holds a BA in English from Case Western Reserve University and studies at UCLA Extension under Rick Bursky. Her recent work appears in Cathexis Northwest, Liminal Spaces, and The Broadkill Review. In 2026, she will attend a residency at the Villa Kivi Writers’ House in Helsinki, Finland.

Founded by novelist and poet N.J. Simat, PHIL LIT JOURNAL is a home for writing that presses against the veil—be it philosophical, metaphysical, ethical, or radical. Our contributors include poets, fiction writers, essayists, artists, and experimenters of all forms.Together, we are building a space for thoughtful disruption, lyrical risk, and necessary beauty.

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Submissions Are Now Open

Our debut issue, Fall 2025: The Threshold, is currently accepting submissions.

We are seeking work that explores liminality—moments of becoming, undoing, or crossing over. We welcome writing that captures transition, transformation, and the tension of the in-between.

We accept:

• Poetry (up to 3 poems, 5-6 pages max)

• Short fiction or hybrid prose (up to 3,000 words)

• Personal or philosophical essays (up to 2,000 words)

• Visual/literary hybrid work (up to 5 pieces)

Submission cap: First 100 entries
Deadline: Until we reach 100 entries.
Submit HERE or www.PHILLITjournal.com/submissions

There is no fee to submit. All work is considered equally.

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What You’ll Get as a Subscriber

This Substack is the official backend of PHIL LIT JOURNAL. By subscribing, you’ll receive:

• New seasonal issues, directly in your inbox

• Submission and contest alerts

• Editorial notes, process reflections, and literary meditations

• Updates about the annual print edition (coming 2026)

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Supporting the Journal

PHIL LIT is an independent journal run on care and intention—not ad revenue. Every paid subscription helps us move closer to paying contributors, maintaining accessibility, and publishing in print with integrity.

Paid subscribers receive:

• Access to the full archive and comment threads

• A gifted copy of the annual print edition

• Recognition as a supporter in our current online issue

• Feedback on rejected submissions

Founding members receive all of the above, plus:

• Acknowledgment in our printed issue and website.

• A personal thank-you and original poem from the editors.

Supporters make this space possible. Thank you for reading, subscribing, submitting, and sharing.

With warmth and wild attention,
Editors, PHIL LIT JOURNAL

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