The ''Broadway Journal'' was a short-lived
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
-based
newspaper
A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
founded by
Charles Frederick Briggs and John Bisco in 1844 and was published from January 1845 to January 1846. In its first year, the publication was bought by
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
, becoming the only
periodical
Periodical literature (singularly called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) consists of Publication, published works that appear in new releases on a regular schedule (''issues'' or ''numbers'', often numerically divided into annu ...
he ever owned, though it failed after only a few months under his leadership.
History

Briggs, previously known as a satire novelist under the pseudonym "Harry Franco", wrote a letter to
James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets to r ...
on December 7, 1844, announcing his intentions to start a journal. "The name will be, for the sake of individuality and a-part-from-other-peopleness, the Broadway Journal, or Review, or Chronicle, or Broadway Something". Upon its founding as the ''Broadway Journal'', Briggs handled the editorial duties and solicited for contributors while his business partner John Bisco handled the publishing and financial concerns.
On February 21, 1845,
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
signed a year-long contract to become an editor of the publication. He also agreed to write at least one page worth of original material per week. He received one-third of the profits as well. Soon, however, Poe's caustic reputation as a critic began to bother Briggs and he intended to get rid of both Poe and Bisco. He was, however, unsuccessful in finding new financial backers when Bisco raised his price. Poe, for a time, considered selling his own portion of the journal to
Evert Augustus Duyckinck or
Cornelius Mathews. Briggs tried to buy out Bisco, who asked for more money than Briggs was willing to pay. By June, however, Briggs resigned due to financial difficulties and, in October, Bisco sold his part of the newspaper to Poe for $50 (Poe paid with a note endorsed by
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...
). Poe, then, had full editorial control and ownership of the ''Broadway Journal''.
Poe published new versions of many of his works, including "
The Masque of the Red Death," "
The Oval Portrait," and others. He also continued his role as a literary critic, including accusations of
plagiarism
Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 ''Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close ...
against
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems " Paul Revere's Ride", '' The Song of Hiawatha'', and '' Evangeline''. He was the first American to comp ...
. He also used the ''Broadway Journal'' for a very public flirtation with
Frances Sargent Osgood and to raise money for his never-realized dream of a new magazine to be named ''
The Penn''.
Poe was unable to keep the publication financially successful, though he had hoped to turn it around. A loan of $50 from
Rufus Wilmot Griswold
Rufus Wilmot Griswold (February 13, 1815 – August 27, 1857) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and critic. Born in Vermont, Griswold left home when he was 15 years old. He worked as a journalist, editor, and critic in Philadelphia, New ...
in October 1845 helped sustain it for a short time. In a November 15, 1845, letter to friend and poet
Thomas Holley Chivers he vowed, "I will make a fortune of it yet." Even so, the publication officially ended with a final issue dated January 3, 1846, which included the
valedictory
Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States.
The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...
:
:Unsuspected engagements demanding my whole attention, and the objects being unfulfilled so far as regards myself personally, for which the ''Broadway Journal'' was established, I now, as its editor, bid farewell - as cordially to foes as to friends. -Edgar A. Poe
After taking over full control of the ''Journal'', Poe had asked for the support of friends. Referring to this after its closure,
Cornelia Wells Walter of the ''
Boston Evening Transcript'' wrote a poem:
To trust in friends is but so so
Especially when cash is low;
The Broadway Journal's proved "''no go''" —
''Friends'' would not pay the pen of POE.
Content
The ''Broadway Journal'' attempted to be a more serious intellectual journal compared to others at the time. Because of this, it had a smaller audience and was less financially successful. It emphasized literary reviews but also featured criticism of Art, theater, and music as well as poetry and articles on politics.
[Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. New York: Cooper Square Press, 1992: 169 ]
See also
Other American journals that Edgar Allan Poe was involved with include:
*''
American Review: A Whig Journal''
*''
Burton's Gentleman's Magazine
''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and American Monthly Review'' (sometimes ''...and Monthly American Review'' or, more simply, ''Burton's Magazine''), was a literary publication published in Philadelphia from 1837 to 1840. Its founder was William ...
''
*''
Godey's Lady's Book''
*''
Graham's Magazine''
*''
Southern Literary Messenger''
*''
The Stylus''
References
External links
Poe's writings in ''The Broadway Journal''at th
Edgar Allan Poe Society*{{OCLC, 7477729
Edgar Allan Poe
Defunct newspapers published in New York City
Newspapers published in New York City
Newspapers established in 1844
1844 establishments in New York (state)
Publications disestablished in 1846
1846 disestablishments in New York (state)