Magazine Stand :: Cholla Needles – 69

Started in 2017, Cholla Needles is one of those quiet little lit mags that, to see it sitting on a coffee table could not even begin to speak for all it represents. A non-profit located in Joshua Tree, California, Cholla Needles publishes monthly in print using a unique format. Each issue is comprised of ten “chapbooks” divided by “covers” – an author photo as the front and an art photo as the back. They also publish books by writers featured in the journal who do not yet have a publisher. Cholla Needles publishes poetry, short stories, creative essays, art, and photography by local and visiting writers “who love the desert.” Cholla Needles also partners with local bookstores and community organizations (like the Joshua Tree Folk Center) to host monthly literary events, offers mentoring, workshops, and publishing activities for writers of all ages, and maintains a poetry, prose, and art library. They recently participated in their community’s NEA Big Read for the fourth year by handing out free copies of the journal. They also work with young writers, publishing a local-only journal twice a year. If there was a dream world for a lit mag, being part of a vibrant literary community and helping make it all happen, it would be Cholla Needles.