LBJ in the birding world stands for “little brown job”, a somewhat condescending name for a sparrowish brown bird of undetermined identity. LBJ also stands for “literary bird journal” as in the case of the brand-spanking new biannual publication, The LBJ—Avian Life Literary Arts.
The LBJ is jam-packed with creative nonfiction, fiction, reviews, and poetry as well as a small amount of gorgeous artwork. The first issue features Barry Kent MacKay’s splendid work, including the coverbird of a Song Sparrow. These works are all previously unpublished and the submissions are from birder-writers all over.
Why would you want to submit to The LBJ? There are some monetary prizes available for top-notch writing but besides that, getting published is important for those looking to publish a full-length book.
Since this is the first issue of The LBJ, time will tell how the content stands up. But for those that love reading fun stories about birds, birding, and birders (ever read any of Pete Dunne or Kenn Kaufman’s stuff?), this is a must read.
What’s The LBJ gonna cost you? Each issue is listed at $9 but a year’s subscription is $15 (two issues so you save $3).
Rating: 8.5 of 10 feathers