Cherry Tree Turns 10

The College’s prestigious literary journal, which has received national and international accolades, has just celebrated the publication of its 10th issue.

“The fact that Cherry Tree has survived and thrived for 10 years in an ecosystem that gets more and more antagonistic towards literature and small independent publishers is a tribute to the leadership of the journal, including past editors and James Hall, our current editor,” said Roy Kesey, the journal’s associate editor and the associate director of the Washington College Rose O’Neill Literary House. 

The journal’s success is thanks to the consistently high quality of its contributors. “In every issue, Cherry Tree tries to showcase the work of a few well-known writers, but mostly writers whose names don't yet ring out,” Kesey explained, “which is a remarkable combination.” This mix of famous and up-and-coming contributors cements the journal’s place as a springboard for new writers and a vehicle for established artists. 

The 10th-anniversary issue features some literary heavy hitters, including Pulitzer Prize winner Diane Seuss, Guggenheim Fellow Denise Duhamel, Louisiana State Poetry Laureate Alison Pelegrin, Lambda Literary Award winner K-Ming Chang, and nonfiction from National Endowment of the Arts Fellow Rachel Richardson. 

Seuss and others will be participating in the issue’s official Launch Reading on Feb. 29. It will occur on Zoom from 7 to 9 p.m.

— Darrach Dolan