Switchyard

10/14/2025

The last episodes of the Switchyard podcast are now live. Over the years, these conversations have taken us from Tulsa to the wider world, bringing together poets, novelists, essayists, and thinkers whose voices resonate far beyond the moment. We’re proud to end with these episodes from our Covering Chaos gathering and grateful for every listener who tuned in.

Switchyard has always been about sparking conversation and building community. We hope you’ll keep listening, keep talking, and keep carrying these stories.

🎧 Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/show/03azf3nrIVPHJhYbRJ7WmQ

10/13/2025

Our last issue of Switchyard has arrived. From the beginning, we wanted Switchyard to be more than a magazine. We wanted it to be a gathering place for essays, poems, and stories that matter—work that sparks conversation and builds community. With this issue, we’re grateful to close on the voices of Merrill Feitell, Beth Nguyen, Ada Limón, Ruxandra Guidi, Esther Honig, and many more, whose writing reflects our search for meaning in the midst of painful endings.

To all the writers who trusted us with their work—and to every reader who joined us along the way—thank you. You’ve truly made Switchyard a place to exchange ideas and find new ways of seeing the world.

📖 Read the final issue: https://www.switchyardmag.com/issue-5

05/18/2025

We’re thrilled to share that Robert Kunzig’s “Transforming the Delta,” has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award in the Foodways category! Produced in partnership with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, the piece explores how climate change is reshaping the Mississippi Delta—and the possibilities that come with it. Read the essay in our latest issue!
https://www.switchyardmag.com/issue-4/delta

05/16/2025

Thank you to everyone who came out to Bold Fork Books to celebrate the launch of Tequila Wars with our editor, Ted Genoways – in conversation with Eliza Barclay on Wednesday!
This stop is part of a cross-country tour, as Ted brings Tequila Wars—and the true story of José Cuervo’s rise to power—to readers from coast to coast.

At Switchyard, we’re proud to have an editor whose work blends deep reporting with narrative force, and who continues to champion the kinds of stories that ask us to look more closely at the past to understand the present.

We’re grateful to all of the indie bookstores who have hosted us so warmly, and to all who joined us for an evening of literary community and spirited conversation.

📚 Missed the event? You can still order Tequila Wars here:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/tequila-wars-jos-cuervo-and-the-bloody-struggle-for-the-spirit-of-mexico/2680f35bcb4b2f14?ean=9780393292596&next=t

04/28/2025

We’re celebrating Devon Fredericksen for earning a spot in LoLongreadsast week! We're honored to showcase her remarkable work, "To Steal a Whale Bone," in the latest edition of Switchyard Magazine. Read her piece online:

By Devon Fredericksen

04/26/2025

We’re raising a glass (and a book!) to indie bookstores today! Independent bookstores hold a special place in our hearts. They do more than sell books—they bring people together and keep the exchange of ideas alive.
Today, we’re proud to spotlight our longtime partners at Magic City Books, a store that truly embodies everything we love about indie bookstores. Support an Indie Bookstore by pre-ordering Tequila Wars by Ted Genoways today: https://magiccitybooks.square.site/product/tequila-wars/3006?cs=true&cst=custom

🎟️ Ted’s on tour this spring—see if he’s stopping in your city:
https://www.tedgenoways.com/
And we’re sending a special thank you to ALL of the Indie Bookstores on Ted’s Book Tour: BOLD FORK BOOKS Francie & Finch Bookshop Deep Vellum Books Chevalier's Books ​ Mysterious Galaxy​ Bookshop Changing Hands Bookstore

04/11/2025

We’re getting ready to send out our next Switchyard newsletter—and we’d love to have you on the list.
From upcoming events and new podcast episodes to featured stories and behind-the-scenes updates, our newsletter is a great way to stay connected to what’s happening at Switchyard.
If you’re not already subscribed, now’s the time:
📬 http://switchyardmag.com/stay-in-touch

04/06/2025

One month to go! Tequila Wars: José Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico hits shelves May 6!

In this gripping new book, Switchyard editor Ted Genoways uncovers the dramatic, untold history of how José Cuervo’s small family distillery became an international liquor empire—surviving revolution, corruption, violence, and sweeping change in early 20th-century Mexico.

📚 Pre-order your copy now at Magic City Books https://magiccitybooks.square.site/product/tequila-wars/3006?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=true&q=false
or Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tequila-Wars-Cuervo-Bloody-Struggle/dp/0393292592

03/25/2025

Some memories live in photos. Others live in the land. In her latest photo essay, Tailyr Irvine invites us into the quiet ritual of early morning hunting trips with her father, brother, and nephew—a tradition passed down through generations. Through evocative writing and photography, Tailyr captures the smells, silences, and shared glances that bind families together—and the landscapes that hold their stories.
https://www.switchyardmag.com/issue-4/the-hunt

02/22/2025

A land of rich soil and deep inequality. For generations, the Mississippi Delta has been shaped by systemic injustice and economic hardship. But could a shift in farming help revitalize the region? 🌱

In collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, Robert Kunzig explores this urgent question in Switchyard Magazine. Read the latest issue now! 🔗 https://www.switchyardmag.com/issue-4/delta

02/14/2025

We are thrilled to share that Mya Frazier’s “Power Failure: On Land and Abandonment,” published in Switchyard Magazine in collaboration with , has been nominated for a National Magazine Award by ! 🏆 We’re honored to see it recognized among the best in journalism.

02/14/2025

We’re thrilled to share that Mya Frazier’s “Power Failure: On Land and Abandonment,” published in Switchyard Magazine, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award! The ASME Awards recognize the best in journalism, and we’re honored to see Mya’s powerful work recognized among the finalists. Winners will be announced on April 10—stay tuned!
https://www.switchyardmag.com/issue-4/power-failure