The life of Speer Morgan is a literary playground where fictitious dreams come true. The author of five novels and a collection of short stories, Morgan’s writings have earned him national awards and bylines in publications such as Harper’s and The Atlantic Monthly. Along with these accomplishments, he has been the editor of the renowned literary magazine The Missouri Review for over thirty years.

Speer Morgan’s is justifiably proud of The Missouri Review's dedication to writers: “We’ve discovered a lot of writers and helped a lot of writers early in their career by publishing accomplishment rather than reputation.” He’s also enthusiastic about the magazine’s incorporation of student interns. “I’m very proud of the fact that we have trained and helped so many young people in the business of both writing and editing.”

Morgan explains that each year he cherishes The Missouri Review's student interns more and more. The magazine’s goal is to train young editors and writers by involving them in all aspects of publishing.

When it comes to writing, Morgan admits that for him the process is time-consuming and slow. He also notes that his work as an editor has made him more self-conscious about his own writing.

Morgan’s work as an editor affects his writing in several ways, and he notes that in the end being an editor has made him more realistic about the writing process.

As with many writers, Morgan’s love for literature dates back to his childhood and an early fascination with books, even some that were too advanced for him to fully understand. The protagonist of his first book, Belle Star, is his favorite character and is based on stories he heard as a child.

When it comes to offering advice to aspiring writers, Morgan admits literature is a difficult form to master. But he also maintains that it’s pivotal to never give up. He had to write three novels before he sold his first one, and this was after he’d been writing for over ten years.