Submissions are open now for our FALL COLLECTION 2026, from Sept. 1-Oct. 1.

The theme for The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journalโ€™s Fall Collection 2026 is ROOTED, which is a continuation of the powerful summer retreat we just hosted in historic downtown Greenville, SC. Our fall theme is based on Jeremiah 17:7-8. Click below to learn about all of the details and resources we curated.

The Fall Collection: TO THE MOUNTAINS

MASTHEAD

Sarah Steele, senior editor

Ashley Whittemore, editor

Kimberly Kralovic, editor

Heather Lobe Johnson, editor

Kimberly Phinney, editor-in-chief

Listen to the poets of The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal perform their work with our podcast, The Poetry Corner, a spin-off from The Way Back Podcast, hosted by Edward Holmes and Deidre Braley.

Coffee at the Campsite
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Coffee at the Campsite

Sit around a morning campfire and take in the surroundings with Edward Holmes as your guide in โ€œCoffee at the Campsite.โ€

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Here in the Land of the Living
essay Kimberly Phinney essay Kimberly Phinney

Here in the Land of the Living

In her essay โ€œHere in the Land of the Living,โ€ Caitlin Lore takes us from the mountaintop to the valley, doing the difficult work of trusting God through it all.

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Three Mountains
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Three Mountains

Journey with Noah Bartley to significant mountains in the Bible in his poem โ€œThree Mountains.โ€

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Peak Experience
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Peak Experience

A. A. Kostas inverts our perspective of the mountaintop experience, both in the deep, reflective content of his poem, โ€œPeak Experience,โ€ and in the poemโ€™s unique form.

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Eyes Up
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Eyes Up

With masterful attention to the form of the sonnet and the condition of humankind, Matthew White calls us to stand at the base of the mountain with him in โ€œEyes Up.โ€

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Waking Thoughts and Other Poems
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Waking Thoughts and Other Poems

In her poems โ€œWaking Thoughtsโ€ and โ€œTestament,โ€ Chelsea Fraser reflects on glimpses of hope, knowing thereโ€™s more as magic and faith unfold.

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Mount Zion
poetry Kimberly Phinney poetry Kimberly Phinney

Mount Zion

In Amy Hallโ€™s poem, โ€œMount Zion,โ€ she draws us to see parallels between Greek mythology, Christโ€™s journey to Golgotha, our own pilgrimages, and the eventual hope we find in Christโ€™s future return.

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You Met Me in the Blue Mountains
essay Kimberly Phinney essay Kimberly Phinney

You Met Me in the Blue Mountains

Andy Beth Miller invites us on her healing journey through the sacred spaces of nature, silence, and renewed faith in her essay, โ€œYou Met Me in the Blue Mountains.โ€

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