New publications

Persimmon Tree Magazine

An Online Literary Magazine by Women Over Sixty

Less than a year old, Persimmon Tree is attracting thousands of readers of all ages from 40 countries and throughout North America. It can be found online at www.persimmontree.org.

Persimmon Tree showcases an impressive variety of literature and art by women over 60, many still working well into their 80s and 90s. Many of the writers and artists are well-known: Marilyn French, Ruth Stone, Grace Paley, E.M. Broner, Paula Gunn Allen, Jane Lazarre, Faith Ringgold, and Nicole Hollander. Others are lesser known, while some are newly developing their craft in their later years. All of them are at the height of their creative powers, and all of them express the shared, though diverse experiences of aging women, from late middle age to late old age.

“Persimmon Tree is intended to fill a niche that has been neglected by contemporary publishing, whether in print or online,” said Nan Gefen, the magazine’s founding editor and publisher. “There is a growing body of work by male writers and artists who are entering or well into old age. But the comparable body of work by aging women is much smaller and mostly limited to a few already well-known writers and artists,” Gefen explained. “Women are creating, but they are not getting the exposure they deserve.”

Persimmon Tree is published in association with Mills College in Oakland, CA.