Real South Magazine

03/07/2025

Hey y'all, the July/August issue of Real South/West Magazine is up now, just in time for 4th of July. We've got another great photo essay from Carl Deal, a bunch of new books and music to show you, and of course, a batch of fresh, timely, evocative fiction and poetry!

Here’s how the digital flipbook issue works: Click the headline to get to the issue. In the issue window, the double-chevron icon at lower right brings up a reader window with a toolbar so you can zoom in and out, download a PDF, etc. A few tips: The toolbar’s box icon fills your whole screen [....

19/05/2025

The May/June issue of Real South/West Magazine is up now. There are two ways to read it on the site: as a page-turning flipbook or as individual article posts in the righthand sidebar.

This marks our 1-year anniversary of being back online!

This time we bring you plein air painting, with artists Carl Bretzke, Garry Kravit, and Michelle Held (whose beautiful Big Blue painting graces the cover). The issue also contains great new fiction pieces from Lynne Barrett, Larry Desautels, Heath Dollar, and John Dufresne; poetry by Ga***rd Brewer and Peter Mladinic; and a bunch of book and music recommendations. Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary, y’all! This issue marks one year that we’ve been back, bringing you great new Southern/Southwestern fiction, poetry, art, food, and of course book and music reviews and recommendations. Click the headline to get to the issue. In the issue window, the double-chevron icon brings...

28/01/2025

The January/February issue is now live, y'all! You can view the magazine as a flipbook or read individual posts, whichever works best for your device and your mood and whatnot. Lots of great fiction, poetry, a gorgeous cover story on Big Bend National Park, some Mardi Gras recipes...and more!

Our fourth issue, and first one of the new year! Click the headline to get to the issue. In the issue window, the double-chevron icon brings up a toolbar so you can zoom in and out, download a PDF, etc. A few tips for reading it: The toolbar’s box icon fills your whole screen with […]

05/01/2025

Real South Magazine (now Real South/West Magazine) would not exist without John and his merry band of workshop writers I am greatly blessed and humbled and inspired to know and work with and be among. He is a wonderful writer, and his new book is coming out this month. Enjoy!

Bestselling author and FIU professor John Dufresne joins us for his moving new novel MY DARLING BOY

27/11/2024

The November issue is up!

https://realsouthwestmag.com/

Besides Thanksgiving, November is also Indigenous History Month, and of course includes Veterans Day. So we are very, very proud to feature David Kassan’s stunning portrait of one of the last Navajo code talkers, John Kinsel, who served during World War II, and David Bullens’ photo of Many Children.

We are also delighted to bring you Mickey Raphael’s tribute to Floore’s Country Store, a beloved country music venue in Helotes, Texas. Mickey has played on that stage many times over the years with Willie Nelson & Family. He reflects fondly on that and took some great photos of this real-deal Texan venue still going strong. (And it’s a happy accident that one of our book reviews just so happens to be Picnic: Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Tradition.)

As proud as we are of all of that, Real South/West is first and foremost a literary magazine, so as always, we are pleased to offer up four new pieces of great grit lit fiction. John Dufresne explores family ties and a little quantum theory in “Entanglement.” “Tumbling” is an unforgettable excerpt from Karen Kravit’s forthcoming novel. Albert Leftwich examines family honor and revenge in “Dig Two Graves,” and Peter Stravlo graces these pages with a short but powerfully evocative piece, “Green Shelves.” Rounding out this issue are evocative, moving poems we’re blessed to have from Jesse Millner, Denise Duhamel, and Michael Hettich.

30/09/2024

Heavy hearts here at Real South/West with the catastrophic damage of Hurricane Helene across several states.

We still don’t even know the full extent of the devastation across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia. Despite what you might have heard, the government is responding, FEMA is there, so is the Red Cross, and here are more ways you can help ongoing local relief efforts…

Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
PayPal: [email protected]
Venmo:
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/mutual-aid-disaster-relief

Charlotte Mutual Aid: Helene Disaster Relief
https://cltmutualaid.com/resources/disaster-relief

Knoxville
Venmo:

Asheville
Venmo: -Asheville
https://paypal.me/BeLovedAsheville

Footprint Project
The Footprint Project provides solar generator units for mutual aid hubs and individuals with critical needs throughout Appalachia. Text HELENE to 44-321

More regional and local disaster relief orgs listed at itsgoingdown.org.

Go to paypal.me/BeLovedAsheville and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

17/09/2024

Our September/October issue is now live on the website!

To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.

06/07/2024

Just letting y’all know we are busily pulling together the July/August issue and hope to release it in the next couple weeks. Most of our contributors were out on vacation this past month, but now we’re back and refreshed and excited to bring you more great Southern and Southwestern fiction, poetry, music, and food! So stay tuned!

06/07/2024

it's friday--just get through

16/06/2024

Sorry if any of y'all tried to reach the magazine and it was down. Had to tweak a few hosting things with support--now it's back up! (And we are working on the July issue, so stay tuned!)

23/05/2024

Hey, y'all!! After an extended hiatus, we're thrilled to say Real South Magazine is BACK--we're now Real South/West Magazine! We've partnered with some folks who want to add some Southwestern flavor, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, our relaunch issue just launched! This one is free, then the next one (in July) will have a metered paywall.

The site is set up so you can read the magazine either as a digital flipbook or as individual site articles. Whichever your little heart desires. Enjoy!

To subscribe, simply enter your email address on our website or click the subscribe button below. Don't worry, we respect your privacy and won't spam your inbox. Your information is safe with us.