Poet Jenny Molberg Named Editor-in-Chief of Ploughshares

Award-winning poet, editor, and educator Jenny Molberg will take over as Editor-in-Chief of Emerson’s literary magazine, Ploughshares, beginning on August 1, 2025.

Molberg will succeed longtime Ploughshares Poetry Editor and Emerson Professor Emeritus John Skoyles, who took over as Interim Editor-in-Chief this year, when Ladette Randolph, the author and editor who held the post for 16 years, retired.

“Jenny Molberg is a nationally recognized poet, editor, and teacher who will provide expert leadership as Ploughshares enters a new era,” Skoyles said. “Ploughshares is one of the most prestigious and longest-running publications of its kind, and it’s fitting that someone of Jenny’s caliber will take over as our next editor.

Ploughshares has been based at Emerson College since 1989. Founded in 1971, the publication features poetry, fiction, essays, and memoirs and has published works from literary greats including John Irving, Toni Morrison, Sue Miller, and Stephen King. 

As Editor-in-Chief of Ploughshares, Molberg will play an integral role in providing a vision and strategic plan for the literary journal, its blog, and accompanying community events and projects. She will also manage recruitment of and collaboration with guest editors, and teach as a member of the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing.

“Emerson prides itself on its robust and world-class arts programs, and Ploughshares is crucial to our mission,” said Provost Alexandra Socarides. “Ploughshares is an institution at Emerson College and will thrive under Jenny’s leadership. We’re so excited to welcome Jenny to this new position, join the talented staff at Ploughshares, and become part of our university community as well as the city’s literary community.”

Molberg is the author of three poetry collections: Marvels of the Invisible, winner of the Berkshire Prize; Refusa;l and The Court of No Record, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her poems and essays have recently appeared or are forthcoming in Ploughshares, The American Poetry Review, AGNI, The Kenyon Review, The Missouri Review, and other publications. She has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Hambidge Center, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Longleaf Writers Conference. For 10 years, she taught at the University of Central Missouri, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Pleiades: Literature in Context. 

“I’m thankful for this incredible opportunity to lead such a distinguished and respected publication,” said Jenny Molberg. “Never have the arts been more important and my focus will be to build upon the legacy of Ploughshares by continuing to amplify the voices of a diverse array of creative writers and fostering a welcoming community for seasoned talent and newcomers alike. It is my distinct privilege and honor to lead Ploughshares.”