About

“To climb the glass mountain, one first requires a good reason.”

—Donald Barthelme, 1931-1989

Glass Mountain

In 2006, several undergraduate students at the University of Houston saw the need for a journal that would be the counterpart to Gulf Coast, the journal edited by graduate creative writing students at UH. The undergraduate students pooled their creative resources, and in a little over a year the Spring 2007 premiere issue hit the presses.

Our journal’s name was inspired by a line from a short story written by Donald Barthelme, one of the founders of the University of Houston’s Creative Writing program. In his short story “Glass Mountain” he wrote “To climb the glass mountain, one first requires a good reason.”

The glass mountain, a sky scraper like the many we have here in Houston, represented the achievement of what seemed impossible when we first began laying plans. Our good reason was simple: our journal was needed. Scores of new voices needed expression and a place to be heard, both on the printed page and at our readings and gatherings. A community of emerging writers needed a platform within the already vibrant arts community of Houston and beyond.

Mission Statement

Glass Mountain, the undergraduate literary journal at the University of Houston, is run by undergraduate students for undergraduate students, with the wants, needs, and curiosities of the emerging artist in mind. Forward-thinking and -moving, Glass Mountain is aimed at inspiring creativity, encouraging growth within a craft, and teaching undergraduate students the process of publishing—and getting published—with a can-do attitude. It continually seeks new ways of connecting emerging literary and visual artists on a national level with their seasoned contemporaries in an effort to foster collective growth. Regardless of genre, style, or even language, Glass Mountain invites all undergraduates to join in our celebration of the spirit of community.

Editorial Philosophy

We at Glass Mountain do not equate undergrad with underdog. We offer a venue for the underserved undergraduate literary community to show the world what it can do—and we like to make a big deal about the writers in the process. We do not discriminate against genre, topic, or medium; but we do encourage you to grab your best craft techniques and step outside your comfort zone. As undergrads ourselves, we are continually looking for new ideas, or at least new spins on old ideas, to share with others in our combined spaces.