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A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...
in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories,
poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...
, and
essay An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...
s, along with
literary criticism Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. ...
, book reviews, biographical profiles of
author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
s,
interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
s and letters. Literary magazines are often called literary journals, or
little magazines In the United States, a little magazine is a magazine genre consisting of "artistic work which for reasons of commercial expediency is not acceptable to the money-minded periodicals or presses", according to a 1942 study by Frederick J. Hoffman, ...
, terms intended to contrast them with larger, commercial magazines.


History

'' Nouvelles de la république des lettres'' is regarded as the first literary magazine; it was established by Pierre Bayle in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in 1684. Literary magazines became common in the early part of the 19th century, mirroring an overall rise in the number of books, magazines, and scholarly journals being published at that time. In
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
, critics Francis Jeffrey, Henry Brougham and Sydney Smith founded the ''
Edinburgh Review The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929. ''Edinburgh Review'' ...
'' in 1802. Other British reviews of this period included the ''
Westminster Review The ''Westminster Review'' was a quarterly British publication. Established in 1823 as the official organ of the Philosophical Radicals, it was published from 1824 to 1914. James Mill was one of the driving forces behind the liberal journal unt ...
'' (1824), ''
The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''Th ...
'' (1828), and '' Athenaeum'' (1828). In the United States, early journals included the ''Philadelphia Literary Magazine'' (1803–1808), the ''Monthly Anthology'' (1803–11), which became the '' North American Review'', the '' Yale Review'' (founded in 1819), '' The Yankee'' (1828–1829) '' The Knickerbocker'' (1833–1865), ''Dial'' (1840–44) and the New Orleans-based ''De Bow's Review'' (1846–80). Several prominent literary magazines were published in
Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, including '' The Southern Review'' (1828–32) and ''Russell's Magazine'' (1857–60). The most prominent Canadian literary magazine of the 19th century was the Montreal-based '' Literary Garland''. The '' North American Review'', founded in 1815, is the oldest American literary magazine. However, it had its publication suspended during World War II, and the '' Yale Review'' (founded in 1819) did not; thus the Yale journal is the oldest literary magazine in continuous publication. Begun in 1889, '' Poet Lore'' is considered the oldest journal dedicated to poetry. By the end of the century, literary magazines had become an important feature of intellectual life in many parts of the world. One of the most notable 19th century literary magazines of the Arabic-speaking world was ''
Al-Urwah al-Wuthqa ''Al-Urwah al-Wuthqa'' (, ) was an Islamic revolutionary journal founded by Muhammad Abduh and Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī. Despite only running from 13 March 1884 to October 1884, it was one of the first and most important publications of the ...
''. Among the literary magazines that began in the early part of the 20th century is ''
Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...
'' magazine. Founded in 1912, it published T. S. Eliot's first poem, " The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". Other important early-20th century literary magazines include ''
The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' (1902), '' Southwest Review'' (1915), '' Virginia Quarterly Review'' (1925), ''
World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book revie ...
'' (founded in 1927 as ''Books Abroad'' before assuming its present name in 1977), ''
Southern Review ''The Southern Review'' is a quarterly literary magazine that was established by Robert Penn Warren in 1935 at the behest of Charles W. Pipkin and funded by Huey Long as a part of his investment in Louisiana State University. It publishes fiction ...
'' (1935), and '' New Letters'' (1935). The '' Sewanee Review'', although founded in 1892, achieved prominence largely thanks to Allen Tate, who became editor in 1944. Two of the most influential—though radically different—journals of the last half of the 20th century were '' The Kenyon Review'' (''KR'') and the '' Partisan Review''. ''The Kenyon Review'', edited by
John Crowe Ransom John Crowe Ransom (April 30, 1888 – July 3, 1974) was an American educator, scholar, literary critic, poet, essayist and editor. He is considered to be a founder of the New Criticism school of literary criticism. As a faculty member at Kenyon ...
, espoused the so-called New Criticism. Its platform was avowedly unpolitical. Although Ransom came from the South and published authors from that region, ''KR'' also published many New York-based and international authors. ''The Partisan Review'' was first associated with the American Communist Party and the John Reed Club; however, it soon broke ranks with the party. Nevertheless, politics remained central to its character, while it also published significant literature and criticism. The middle-20th century saw a boom in the number of
literary Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to includ ...
magazines, which corresponded with the rise of the small press. Among the important journals which began in this period were '' Nimbus: A Magazine of Literature, the Arts, and New Ideas'', which began publication in 1951 in England, the ''
Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Ph ...
,'' which was founded in 1953, '' The Massachusetts Review'' and ''
Poetry Northwest ''Poetry Northwest'' was founded as a quarterly, poetry-only journal in 1959 by Errol Pritchard, with Carolyn Kizer, Richard Hugo, Edith Shiffert and Nelson Bentley as co-editors. The first issue was 32 pages and included the work of Richmond Lat ...
'', which were founded in 1959, ''X'' Magazine, which ran from 1959 to 1962, and the '' Denver Quarterly'', which began in 1965. The 1970s saw another surge in the number of literary magazines, with a number of distinguished journals getting their start during this decade, including '' Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art'', ''
Ploughshares ''Ploughshares'' is an American literary journal established in 1971 by DeWitt Henry and Peter O'Malley in The Plough and Stars, an Irish pub in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since 1989, ''Ploughshares'' has been based at Emerson College in Boston. ...
,'' ''
The Iowa Review ''The Iowa Review'' is an American literary magazine that publishes fiction, poetry, essays, and reviews. History and profile Founded in 1970, ''Iowa Review'' is issued three times a year, during the months of April, August, and December. Origin ...
,'' '' Granta'', ''
Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hi ...
'', '' The Missouri Review,'' and '' New England Review''. Other highly regarded print magazines of recent years include '' The Threepenny Review'', '' The Georgia Review'', '' Ascent'', '' Shenandoah'', ''
The Greensboro Review ''The Greensboro Review'', founded in 1966, is one of the nation's oldest literary magazines, based at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina. It publishes fiction and poetry on a semi-annual basis. Work f ...
'', '' ZYZZYVA'', '' Glimmer Train'', '' Tin House'', ''Half Mystic Journal'', the Canadian magazine ''
Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
'', the Australian magazine ''
HEAT In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'', and '' Zoetrope: All-Story''. Some short fiction writers, such as Steve Almond,
Jacob M. Appel Jacob M. Appel (born February 21, 1973) is an American author, poet, bioethicist, physician, lawyer and social critic.Nagamatsu, Sequoia "A Few Words with the Ubiquitous Jacob M. Appel" ''Prince Mincer'' Journal http://primemincer.com/ confirmed ...
and Stephen Dixon have built national reputations in the United States primarily through publication in literary magazines. The
Committee of Small Magazine Editors and Publishers Richard Ward Morris (1939–August 28, 2003) was an American author, editor, and poet. He published more than 20 books in his lifetime, many of which were written to "explain the intricacies of science to the general public". His literary sty ...
(COSMEP) was founded by Richard Morris in 1968. It was an attempt to organize the energy of the small presses. Len Fulton, editor and founder of Dustbook Publishing, assembled and published the first real list of these small magazines and their editors in the mid-1970s. This made it possible for poets to pick and choose the publications most amenable to their work and the vitality of these independent publishers was recognized by the larger community, including the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, which created a committee to distribute support money for this burgeoning group of publishers called the Coordinating Council of Literary Magazines (CCLM). This organisation evolved into the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP). Many prestigious awards exist for works published in literary magazines including the Pushcart Prize and the O. Henry Awards. Literary magazines also provide many of the pieces in '' The Best American Short Stories'' and '' The Best American Essays'' annual volumes.


Online literary magazines

''SwiftCurrent'', created in 1984, was the first online literary magazine. It functioned as more of a database of literary works than a literary publication. In 1995, the ''
Mississippi Review The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
'' was the first large literary magazine to launch a fully online issue. By 1998, ''Fence'' and ''Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'' were published and quickly gained an audience. Around 1996, literary magazines began to appear more regularly online. At first, some writers and readers dismissed online literary magazines as not equal in quality or prestige to their print counterparts, while others said that these were not properly magazines and were instead ezines. One of the first literary magazines was ''The Morpo Review'', published by a group from Omaha, Nebraska, in the 1990s. Since then, though, many writers and readers have accepted online literary magazines as another step in the evolution of independent literary journals. There are thousands of online literary publications and it is difficult to judge the quality and overall impact of this relatively new publishing medium."Technology, Genres, and Value Change:the Case of Literary Magazines" by S. Pauling and M. Nilan. ''Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology'' 57(7):662-672 doi10.1022/asi.20345


Little magazines

Little magazines, or "small magazines", are literary magazines that often publish
experimental literature Experimental literature is a genre that is, according to Warren Motte in his essa"Experimental Writing, Experimental Reading" "difficult to define with any sort of precision." He says the "writing is often invoked in an "offhand manner" and the ...
and the non-conformist writings of relatively unknown writers. Typically they had small readership, were financially uncertain or non-commercial, were irregularly published and showcased artistic innovation.


See also

* List of literary magazines * Literary fiction *
Creative nonfiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction or literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contr ...
*
Short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
*
Anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...
*
Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...
* Non fiction


References


Further reading

* Peter Brooker and Andrew Thacker, "The Oxford critical and cultural history of modernist magazines, Volume One: Britain and Ireland 1880–1955" (
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...
. )


External links


Council of Literary Magazines and Small Presses


A Reader's Report by Steve Evans
Little Magazine Interview Index
Housed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Special Collections, the Little Magazine Collection, one of the most extensive of its kind in the United States, includes approximately 7,000 English-language literary magazines published in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand, mostly in the 20th century.
Little Magazine Collection Blog
Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
NewPages Guide to Literary Magazines in Print and Online.

Poets & Writers Literary Magazine Database

EWR: Literary Magazines
Searchable listing of Literary Magazines {{DEFAULTSORT:Literary magazine Magazine genres