Founded by Andrew Felsher and Yehui Zhao in February of 2022, the publication publishes and showcases poetry, fiction, essays, translation, art, and other diverse forms of media in both print and online forms.

That year, they designed the publication's website with some of Zhao's risograph art in mind and reached out to editors and writers.

[2] The first issue of 128 Lit was published in October of 2022, and the publication held several events at Black Spring Books, Wordup Community Bookshop, People's Forum, and others; they also had stands at Indie Lit Fair and Rehearsal Artbook Fair.

[3][4] Initial contributors to the magazine's first issues included Kim Hyesoon, Don Mee Choi, Jackie Wang, Vi Khi Nao, Sarah Ghazal Ali, Chime Lama, María Ospina, Jhani Randhawa, Celina Su, and others.

Felsher stated for CLMP that an exponential calculation "recognizes the compounding effects of socioeconomic, emotional, and linguistic conditions" similarly to how the publication intends to interrogate them.