Literary Laundry arose from a simple dilemma. The Executive Editors wanted to discover a venue whose published works we found enjoyable and engaging. We craved a literature that evoked intellectual wonder, a literature that spoke cogently and earnestly without divesting itself of mystery.

We sought such a journal but could not find it. Eventually, we tired of searching and resolved to create the journal we desired to read.

The works published by Literary Laundry do not ask to be received or decoded. Instead, they ask the reader to reflect on them and converse with them. This conversation between text and reader is heightened by the editorial introductions that preface each section of our journal and each edition of our quarterly Author Showcase. In these introductions, we share with our readers the aesthetic motives that underlay our selection process. Our introductions nuance the reading experience of the seasoned literati while providing a point of entrance to the more casual reader.

From its inception, our project has focused heavily (though not exclusively) on young readers and writers. Young people invest an overwhelming amount of time sharing their opinions and observations via online social media sites. At Literary Laundry, we hope to capture this spirit of sharing and combine it with an enthusiasm for literary reflection. Participation in the Literary Laundry community is an active process that we see as an extension of this online social culture.

More generally, our target audience is everybody who craves serious and enjoyable literature. We want works that enrich both reader and text through the act of interpretation. Too few "lay” people read contemporary fiction. Many read classics or well-marketed titles (New York Times Bestsellers, The New Yorker, etc.) but few take seriously the capacity of contemporary society to produce works of lasting consequence. We want to expose the power of their patronage, by active and selective reading, to shape the construction of our social world.