The Back Room

Hello. Thanks for visiting The Back Room. 

True to its name (and SPT’s beginnings in the back room of a bookstore in the Castro) this is a space for lively, ongoing exchange, where new ideas and new people are always welcome.

The Back Room is small and carefully tended, recognizing the reality that there’s no dearth of places to publish online, but a severe shortage of writing outlets that privilege respectful editing and fair compensation. We publish biweekly in the spring and fall, simultaneously engaging with SPT’s live programming and exploring independent community interests. We serve writers, artists, and audiences in the Bay Area and beyond, inviting creative and critical responses to regional, national, and international issues and communities. We’re not so interested in standard disciplinary frames; rather, we seek to prioritize distinct voices and views, reflecting the hybrid ways in which artists are working and living today. Like the rest of Small Press Traffic, The Back Room is W.A.G.E. Certified, cooperatively minded, and curated with an emphasis on racial and gender equity. 

Editor: Claudia La Rocco

The Back Room was announced in May 2022 in this KQED Exclusive.

The Back Room is made possible by the Zellerbach Family Foundation and the support of individual contributors. Make a donation to support The Back Room.