The Coachella Review is a publication of the University of California, Riverside-Palm Desert Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. We publish fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, drama, reviews, interviews, and more. The Coachella Review accepts original work that is vibrant, thoughtful, and precise. Whether your work is innovative or traditional, we strive to celebrate writing that holds readers in awe. Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: A large majority of Six Questions For. . . readers are knowledgeable about fiction, but perhaps not as much with creative nonfiction. How would you define this genre for those who are new to the form?
Jackie DesForges: Creative nonfiction isn't a news article or craft essay; it should be personal to the writer in some way, but it's also not necessarily like a diary entry. It should look out into the world in some way, and should provide some sort of perspective that only the writer can provide because of their personal experiences in life. It also doesn't have to be 100% true! Obviously you shouldn't flat out lie in a nonfiction piece, but you can exaggerate some details for effect or draw connections that might not actually exist, as long as you aren't rewriting someone else's story or claiming that something is true when it isn't. I often find that when I am writing a personal essay that draws on some memory, I often have to guess at some of the details because I've forgotten them. I try to focus on the emotional resonance of the memory and recreate the actual circumstances from that, so that even if I am describing a blue room when really the room might have been yellow or green, my description still honors the emotional significance of that memory and the effect it has on my story.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
JD: A really engaging first paragraph—it's true that you can tell from the start of a piece if you want to keep reading it or not. Usually I try to read at least the first couple pages of a submission to give it a fair shot. I also look for an original perspective—a million people have written about the ocean, so what makes your essay about the ocean different and why are you writing this essay at this particular time in your life? And then I really do care about grammar and spelling. A small mistake here or there is fine, we're all human, but several in each paragraph? Nope.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
JD: I've seen several pieces that look like they might be first drafts. I recommend only submitting pieces that are as polished as possible.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s) of a submission?
JD: An original point of view, most importantly. We all write about the same things—love, loss, fear, family, relationships, home—so it's really delightful to see someone introduce a familiar topic from a completely new or unique point of view.
SQF: I know it’s hard to play favorites, but during your time as creative nonfiction editor with The Coachella Review are there any pieces that stand out?
JD: Ha, I'd rather not answer this one! But our summer issue this year was pretty great. It's still available to read on our website.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
JD: Maybe something about rejection. Rejection is normal for writers and shouldn't make anyone feel like their work isn't worthy of publication. There are a lot of people submitting out there, and your piece won't be the right fit for every single publication. I have to tell myself this often—I too am submitting and getting rejected all the time! We are so grateful for every piece submitted to us; it takes a lot of courage and hard work to keep putting yourself out there. The key is to keep doing it.
Thank you, Jackie. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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