Paper 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 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.