Literary magazine

A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews, and letters. Literary magazines are often called literary journals, or little magazines, which is not meant as a pejorative but instead as a contrast with larger commercially oriented magazines. In general, literary magazines function as a sort of literary nursery for writers by publishing new works by authors who are not yet established or well known.

History of literary magazines

Literary magazines first began to appear in the early part of the nineteenth century, mirroring an overall rise in the number of books, magazines, and scholarly journals being published at that time. There were a number of litarary magazines in Europe (especially in England and Russia) and the United States. Even though many of these magazines were not necessarily entirely literary in content and most had a short lifespan, they thrived in cities both large and small (for example, several literary magazines were published in Charleston, South Carolina, including the Southern Review from 1828–32 and Russell's Magazine from 1857–60). http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/antebellum.html By the end of the century, literary magazines had become an important feature of intellectual life in many parts of the world.

Related Topics:
Nineteenth century - Charleston, South Carolina

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With the start of the 20th century, literary magazines began to be associated more with universities and colleges. Among the important literary magazines that began in the early part of that century is Poetry Magazine, founded in 1912, which published T. S. Eliot's first poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". Other important early 20th century literary magazines include the Southern Review and New Letters, both founded in 1935.

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20th century - Universities - Colleges - T. S. Eliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock - Southern Review

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The middle 20th century saw a boom in the number of literary 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, and the Paris Review, which was founded in the United States in 1953. The 1970s saw another surge in the number of literary magazines, with a number of distinguished journals getting their start during this decade (including Ploughshares, The Iowa Review, The Missouri Review, and others). Other well-regarded print magazines of recent years include Pleiades and the Boston Review.

Related Topics:
Small press - Paris Review - Ploughshares

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