Irreantum

''Irreantum'' is a literary journal compiled and published by the Association for Mormon Letters (AML) from 1999 to 2013, with online-only publication starting in 2018. It features selections of LDS literature, including fiction, poetry, and essays, as well as criticism of those works. The journal was advertised as "the only magazine devoted to Mormon literature." In its first years of publication, ''Irreantum'' was printed quarterly; later, it was printed twice a year. A subscription to the magazine was included in an AML membership. Annual ''Irreantum'' writing contests were held, with prizes for short stories, novel excerpts, poems, and nonfiction awarded. The journal's creators, Benson Parkinson and Chris Bigelow, sought to create a publication that would become a one-stop resource where companies interested in publishing LDS literature could find the best the subculture had to offer. They also hoped ''Irreantum'' would highlight various kinds of LDS writing, balancing both liberal and traditional points of view.

History

''Irreantum'' was founded in 1999 by Benson Y. Parkinson and Chris Bigelow. Its name was inspired by a term used in the Book of Mormon to describe "many waters" and was selected by the Association for Mormon Letters (AML) "to show that the journal would welcome many different types of writing by, for, or about Mormons." ''Irreantum'' replaced the AML's newsletter, which had been published since 1977. The first edition of ''Irreantum'', published in 1999, was a "guest issue" of the newsletter. ''Irreantum'' expanded on what AML-List, "an email forum for discussions of Mormon letters," started in 1995. Bigelow and Parkinson recruited ''Irreantum'''s first staff from the team that had worked on AML-List. Some of the content published in the journal came from AML-List itself, but new essays, poetry, and fiction were also included. ''Irreantum'' also contained news about the LDS publishing industry and upcoming events, interviews with authors, and reviews of books, films, and plays. Writers such as Anne Perry, Brian Evenson, Margaret Blair Young, Dean Hughes, and Dave Wolverton have contributed to ''Irreantum''. The journal also published the works of at least three new writers per year. Issues were printed quarterly and distributed from Provo, Utah. The editorial staff used DocuTech to print ''Irreantum''. Each copy cost about $1.80 to print in quantities of 400.

Under the journal's first co-editors, Parkinson and Bigelow, the magazine was called ''Irreantum: Magazine of the Association for Mormon Letters''. When Laraine Wilkins became editor in 2004, the subtitle changed to ''A Review of Mormon Literature and Film''. Wilkins also changed ''Irreantum'' from a quarterly journal to a biannual publication. This change also included expanding the poetry section in the magazine. After Wilkins, Valerie Holladay, Scott Hatch, Angela Hallstorm, Jack Harrell, and Josh Allen served as editors. ''Irreantum'' was sponsored by the Utah Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Because ''Irreantum'''s staff was spread out across the U.S., the publication was compiled entirely over e-mail; similarly, submissions were received electronically. The magazine's audience included those who were not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Circulation reached 500. Subscribing to the magazine cost $12 a year; however, if the subscriber was a member of the Association for Mormon Letters, he or she could receive the magazine for no extra charge. In 2000, Bigelow stated that the AML's membership "almost doubled" as a result of ''Irreantum''.

''Irreantum'' also hosted a fiction contest each year, as well as an essay contest. Submissions that showcased "the Mormon experience" were accepted. Authors did not have to be members of the Church in order to have their writing considered. Short stories and chapters from novels could be submitted. The judges read the entries "blind." Three fiction writers were selected as winners and, in addition to receiving a cash prize, were published in the following issue of ''Irreantum''. Three poems and works of creative nonfiction were also awarded, and honorable mentions were named.

The last print edition of ''Irreantum'' was released in 2013. Archives of its early editions are available on ''Irreantum'''s current website.

Purpose and vision

Bigelow and Parkinson sought to create a journal that would reach a wide audience, particularly those who " eadliterary fiction but eren'tcurrently interested in Mormon literature." ''Irreantum'' was advertised as "a cultural, humanities-oriented magazine, not a religious magazine." Parkinson's vision for the publication included "help ngMormondom define its voice" in the literary world. He also wanted ''Irreantum'' to provide all kinds of LDS writing with the opportunity to be published - and for the circulation of the magazine to reach 1,000. Bigelow hoped that ''Irreantum'' would become the source publishers nationwide would turn to for access to the best LDS literature, which would then be published for the national market. In regards to the LDS market itself, he hoped ''Irreantum'' would promote higher-quality writing, particularly in fiction, and thereby raise the bar for what made it to the shelves of LDS bookstores. Marilyn Brown, president of the Association for Mormon Letters at the time of ''Irreantum'''s inception, echoed Bigelow's hope that the magazine would play an important role in " aisingthe quality of art that expresses the realities of Mormon culture." Bigelow has also said that one of the goals of the journal was to find the middle ground between culturally conservative and culturally liberal LDS literature. The staff wanted to publish a variety of work that would speak to a diverse audience. Jack Harrell, editor of the journal from 2010 to 2013, sought to publish "the best in contemporary Mormon poetry, essays, stories, and criticism."

Online publication

In 2018, the Association for Mormon Letters announced that ''Irreantum'' would be resurrected as an online-only journal after a five-year interlude. A team of editors switch positions in order to provide each issue with a distinct look, feel, and voice. The first issue after the re-launch published solely poetry, essays, and short stories. Like earlier editions, the new ''Irreantum'' sought to publish a wide variety of LDS literature. It received a variety of submissions from both experienced and new authors.

See also

* AML Awards

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Irreantum
1999 establishments in Ohio
2013 disestablishments in Ohio
Defunct literary magazines published in the United States
Harold B. Lee Library-related 20th century articles
Magazines established in 1999
Magazines disestablished in 2013
Magazines established in 2018
Magazines published in Ohio
Magazines published in Utah
Mormon literature
Online literary magazines published in the United States
Online magazines with defunct print editions