Gathering: A Women Who Submit Anthology

“It’s impossible to overstate the significance of Women Who Submit, an organization that has been integral to transforming the literary landscape of Los Angeles for the past decade. Because of the passionate vision of its founders and their fierce commitment, readers and writers everywhere reap the benefits and transformative power of the written word.” -Dana Johnson, author of In the Not Quite Dark and Elsewhere, California

“Women Who Submit turns the burden of submitting work into the blessing of a caring community. They lift each other up and contribute to better stories being shared with the world. Their members demonstrate the wisdom of knowing we’re all in this together and what it means to have someone’s back. The WWS community is a model and force for positive, necessary, inclusive change in literature and publishing.” -Cody Sisco, editor, publisher, and author of Broken Mirror

“Not only has WWS succeeded in empowering its previously marginalized members to submit and resubmit, it has proved to be a beacon of light, inclusivity and hope in a traumatic time of social and political intolerance. Quite simply, the writing world is far better for WWS.” -David Rocklin, author of The Luminist, The Night Language, host and curator of the Roar Shack Reading Series

“This organization is an essential one and has made a huge difference in the literary community. I’m a huge fan and admirer of the organization, those involved, and those who submit.” -Victoria Chang, Program Chair, Antioch MFA Program

“The work WWS does in support of women and nonbinary writers is vital to the success of these writers. WWS is professional in their business side, and absolutely necessary on the social equity side. We are honored to be a partner.” -Kathleen Gallegos, Founder and Director, Avenue 50 Studio, Inc.

GATHERING is a collection of poems, essays, stories, and plays by Women Who Submit (WWS) members from New York, New Jersey, Chicago, San Antonio, Bay Area, Long Beach, Westside, and Los Angeles chapters. It is a way for members in our literary community to acknowledge the traumas of the past year and offer hope in the face of unprecedented challenges. In spite of all that has plagued the world in 2020-2021, WWS members continued to gather across the country, share resources, encourage literary submissions, and support each other with claps and cheers. This gathering of literary voices celebrates WWS’s commitment to empowering women and nonbinary writers over the last 10 years.