For nearly two decades, Chautauqua has celebrated the art of storytelling through its partnership between the Chautauqua Institution and the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Department of Creative Writing. With each past issue our goal was to embody the Chautauqua philosophy: the belief that literature thrives at the intersection of Arts, Learning, Spirituality, and Leisure. These four pillars that have long defined the Chautauqua spirit are at the core of what being, not just a writer, but a human, is.

​

Starting in Fall of 2025, Chautauqua enters a new chapter as an independent literary journal rooted at UNCW. While we are no longer formally affiliated with the Chautauqua Institution, we continue to carry forward its ethos of reflection, dialogue, and shared discovery.

​

Our editorial process reflects what we call the Chautauqua Way: a collaboration between graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Creative Writing, working alongside professional editors to read, discuss, and shape the work that fills our pages. Each issue is a gathering place for stories, essays, and poems that explore what it means to be alive, curious, and connected.

​

As we move toward a completely online publication, we remain devoted to publishing diverse literary voices both emerging and established. We aim to cultivate an attitude of hope, to celebrate difference, and to invite writers and readers alike to step onto our metaphorical porch: a place where conversation flows freely, ideas are shared, and every voice finds a listener.

​

Chautauqua is, and has always been, about community—one that listens, engages, and grows together.

​

We welcome you to join us on the porch.