''New Letters'', the name it has been published under since 1970, is one of the oldest literary magazines in the United States and continues to publish award-winning poems and fiction. The magazine is based in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

History and editors

''The University Review'' was founded in 1934 at the University of Kansas City, a small, private school that later became part of the University of Missouri system. In its first two years, the periodical published a discussion on "Art and Social Struggle", including contributions from Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera, a story by Vance Randolph, a poem by Edgar Lee Masters, and a personal note from Pearl S. Buck.Letters'' history Web page
at the ''New Letters'' Web site, accessed February 5, 2007 Starting with the Spring 1938 issue, Alexander P. Cappon became editor and remained in that post for the next 33 years. In 1944 the magazine's name was changed to ''The University of Kansas City Review''. In that time the magazine published work by May Sarton, J.D. Salinger,

E.E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

, Marianne Moore, May Swenson, James T. Farrell,

Kenneth Rexroth Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth (1905–1982) was an American poet, translator, and critical essayist. He is regarded as a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance, and paved the groundwork for the movement. Although he did not consider h ...

. In 1971, David Ray took over as editor and the magazine's name was changed again, this time to ''New Letters''. Ray published work by Robert Bly,

Cyrus Colter Cyrus Colter (January 8, 1910 – April 15, 2002) was an American author. Trained as a lawyer and during an extended career in public service, he began writing short stories at aged 50. He joined the faculty at Northwestern University in the 1970 ...

Anselm Hollo Anselm Paul Alexis Hollo (12 April 1934 – 29 January 2013) was a Finnish poet and translator. He lived in the United States from 1967 until his death in January 2013. Hollo published more than forty titles of poetry in the United Kingdom and ...

Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her novels '' Bla ...

, Richard Hugo, Robert Peters and

Josephine Jacobsen Josephine Jacobsen (19 August 1908 – 9 July 2003) was a Canadian-born American poet, short story writer, essayist, and critic. She was appointed the twenty-first Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1971. In 1997, sh ...

. In 1986, James McKinley became editor, and under his editorship the magazine published new work by

Amiri Baraka Amiri Baraka (born Everett Leroy Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism. He was the author of numerous bo ...

, Thomas Berger, former President Jimmy Carter,

Annie Dillard Annie Dillard (born April 30, 1945) is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and non-fiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memoir. Her 19 ...

, Tess Gallagher, William Gass, Charles Simic,

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth ...

, and Miller Williams. Robert Stewart took over the post of editor-in-chief for ''New Letters'', ''New Letters on the Air'', and their affiliate,

BkMk Press BkMk Press is an independent literary press formerly affiliated with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, that publishes full-length collections of poetry, fiction, and essays. Founded in 1971 by Dan Jaffe, it had been a part of UMKC's College ...

in September 2002. Since becoming editor, the magazine has published such writers as Brian Doyle, Quincy Troupe,

Daniel Woodrell Daniel Woodrell (born March 4, 1953) is an American novelist and short story writer, who has written nine novels, most of them set in the Missouri Ozarks, and one collection of short stories. Woodrell coined the phrase "country noir" to describe ...

Sherman Alexie Sherman Joseph Alexie Jr. (born October 7, 1966) is a Spokane- Coeur d'Alene-Native American novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and filmmaker. His writings draw on his experiences as an Indigenous American with ancestry from se ...

Sergio Troncoso Sergio Troncoso (born 1961) is an American author of short story, short stories, essays and novels. He often writes about the United States-Mexico border, working-class immigrants, families and fatherhood, philosophy in literature, and crossing c ...

, Marilyn Hacker, Maxine Kumin and

Charlotte Holmes Charlotte Louise Holmes (born 29 September 1988) is an England, English TV host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss England, Miss England 2012 and represented her country at Miss World 2012. She placed fourth on ''Britain ...

. ''New Letters'' won the

National Magazine Award The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...

for the essay on May 1, 2008 at Lincoln Center in New York. The essay "I Am Joe's Prostate" by Thomas E. Kennedy appears in Volume 73, Issue 4.

''New Letters on the Air''

In 1977, editor David Ray and his wife, Judy, began the audio literature program ''New Letters on the Air'', a half-hour radio program featuring writers reading from their work and talking about it. Rebekah Presson produced and hosted the show for many years until 1996 when Angela Elam took over. The program is now the longest continuously-running national literary radio series, having broadcast more than 1,200 programs. The show is now heard on radio stations worldwide, and is available to even more listeners as a podcast. It is distributed by PRX.

New Letters Literary Awards

The New Letters Literary Awards program was begun in 1986. It consists of prizes for poetry, essays and short stories:Home page
''New Letters'' Web site, accessed February 5, 2007 * New Letters Poetry Prize — $1,500 for the best group of three to six poems * Dorothy Churchill Cappon Essay Prize — $1,500 for the best essay * Alexander Patterson Cappon Fiction Prize — $1,500 for the best short story

References

External links

''New Letters'' website

''New Letters'' literary awards web page

the air/ ''New Letters On the Air'' website
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Letters Poetry magazines published in the United States Quarterly magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1934 University of Missouri–Kansas City Magazines published in Missouri 1934 establishments in Missouri

History and editors

''New Letters on the Air''

New Letters Literary Awards

See also

References

External links