Paper Dreams

paper dreams frontPaper Dreams: Writers and Editors on the American Literary Magazine
Compiled and Edited by Travis Kurowski
Literary Non-Fiction, Trade Paperback Original
ISBN 978-0-9840405-7-5
7 x 10 in. / 416 pages
Publication Date: August 13, 2013

Recipient of the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Gold Medal in Writing/Publishing
A Foreword 2013 IndieFab Award Winner

“[A] history and a how-to that illuminates the influence, delights, problems, and engaging idiosyncrasies of these important magazines in American literary culture.” – Publishers Weekly

Paper Dreams brings together a conversation that has lit a rhetorical fire under editors, writers and readers since the onset of print and the E-revolution: how the literary magazine form has stood the test of time and proven its mettle through the inventive grassroots resourcefulness of written word enthusiasts.

This rich, collective history of an evolving medium — from micro-run letterpress examples to digital-only platforms — illustrates the significance of what has become a longstanding creative pillar and cultural linchpin of American society.

The anthology features essays and interviews by and with literary icons (Pierre Bayle, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Monroe and Ezra Pound) and influential contemporaries (Frederick Barthelme, T.C. Boyle, Roxane Gay, Herbert Leibowitz, Rick Moody, Speer Morgan, Jay Neugeboren, Jim Shepard, Laura van den Berg, and dozens of others).

As Kurowski writes in his introduction, the research project began as a special edition of The Mississippi Review in 2008 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the modern literary journal. This new and expanded volume pays tribute to the past while recognizing the tremendous efforts and accomplishments of current magazines and e-zines.

An up-to-date, comprehensive resource for the vast creative writing community — from publishers, editors and writers to educators, booksellers and librarians, Paper Dreams is a living testament to the resilience of the imagination, both on paper and off.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments v

Dedication xv

Literary Magazines, by Billy Collins xvii

Objects Filled with Objects, by Travis Kurowski 1

Reasons for Creating a New Literary Magazine, by Jill Allyn Rosser 9

I. ORIGINS
Pages from Nouvelles de la République des Lettres, by Pierre Bayle 15

To Popularise Literature in the States: An Excerpt from The Magazine in
America
, by Algernon de Vivier Tassin 19

Influence, Commerce, and the Little Magazine, by Eric Staley 27

II. THE MODERNIST LITTLE MAGAZINE
Excerpt from The Awakening Twenties: “Dial” and “Little Review”, by
Gorham Munson 39

Small Magazines, by Ezra Pound 51

Making Their Ways: Women Editors of “Little” Magazines,
by Jayne Marek 65

Jane Heap and Her Circle, by Linda Lappin 77

Some Thoughts on Poetry, by Ben Leubner 97

Story, by Jay Neugeboren 105

Forgotten Pages: Black Literary Magazines in the 1920s, by Abby Ann
Arthur Johnson 119

III. AFTER MODERNISM
Little Magazine, What Now? by Paul Bixler 143

The World of Little Magazines, by Felix Pollak 157

Anima Rising: Little Magazines in the Sixties, by Len Fulton 165

The Letterpress in the Mimeo Revolution, by Kyle Schlesinger 183

In Exile and Against Criticism: The Paris Review and the Branding of
Contemporary Literature, by Travis Kurowski 191

The Expectation of Failure, by Gwen Allen 207

Why Assembling, by Richard Kostelanetz 215

On the Conjunction of Editing and Composition, by Peter Gizzi 225

The Web Is a Gun: An E-mail Exchange with Frederick Barthelme, by
Ralph Lombreglia 233

IV. PRESENT & FUTURE
The Changing Shape of Literary Magazines; or “What the hell is this
thing?” by Jodee Stanley 239

The Future Is a Magazine: A Roundtable on the Contemporary Literary
Magazine, with Jilly Allyn Rosser, Speer Morgan, Marco Roth,
Raymond Hammond, Todd Zuniga, Horowitz, and Aaron Burch;
moderated by Gary Percesepe and Travis Kurowski 241

Some Comments on the 2008 Mississippi Review Roundtable on the
Literary Magazine, by Herbert Leibowitz 265

Too Many of Us, Too Much Noise, by Roxane Gay 269

Cate Marvin Discusses the VIDA Count: An Interview,
by Marcelle Heath 275

Counting Bodies: Notes for Further Consideration, by Marcelle
Heath 281

The New Graphic Literary Journal: An Interview with
Steven Heller
, by David Barringer 283

Prairie Schooner’s Traditions of Transport: Literary Publishing
in the Academy, by Hilda Raz 291

Serial Killers: Toward a Future of the Literary Magazine
in America, by Ian Morris 303

The Literary Economy Is Pathetic: A View from Socialist
Europe, by Megan M. Garr 307

Recommended Reading, by Benjamin Samuel 317

V. WRITERS ON LIT MAGS
Publishing What We Are Trying to Write, by Aaron Gilbreath 329

Publication, by Jane Armstrong 337

Meat and Potatoes, by T. C. Boyle 339

Comments, by Mary Grimm 341

Comments, by Rick Moody 343

Bottles in a Midnight Sea, by Benjamin Percy 345

The Chair of Rejection, by Stacey Richter 347

Comments, by Jim Shepard 351

Comments, by Shara McCallum 353

Comments, by Andrew Foster Altschul 355

Comments, by Lucy Ives 357

Comments, by Andrew Porter 359

Comments, by Laura van den Berg 361

Comments, by G. C. Waldrep 363

VI. SELECTED MANIFESTOS
The Editor to the Reader, by Ralph Waldo Emerson 367

The Motive of the Magazine, by Harriet Monroe 371

Minor Aspirations and Mock Debate, by Charles Newman 373

Editorial Statements, by n+1 Founding Editors 379

VII. APPENDIX MATERIALS
Some Notes on the History of the Literary Magazine 385

A Quote History of Literary Magazines 399

Discoveries: A List of First Fiction Publications 407

60 Over 25: Honoring the Longevity of America’s Literary Magazine
Editors, by David Messineo 411

Submitting to Literary Magazines, by Katie Chase 415

Teachers: Use Literary Magazines, by Nick Ripatrazone 421

Random Annotated Bibliography on American Literary Magazines 425
ABOUT THE EDITOR
Travis Kurowski Travis Kurowski teaches creative writing and publishing at York College of Pennsylvania. He is founding editor of Luna Park, soliciting editor for Opium Magazine, and Literary MagNet columnist for Poets & Writers. His writing has recently appeared in Little Star, Armchair/Shotgun, The Lumberyard, Mississippi Review, Hobart and > Kill Author. Paper Dreams is his first book.