If you love or have ever loved a literary magazine, I bring glad tidings. This week heralds a new appreciation rite for the discerning reader. Happy #LitMagWeek, everyone! #LitMagWeek is the brainchild of Brett Van Emst, editor and publisher of the online journal Midnight Mind.
Through Friday, Van Emst—with the support of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), and more than 100 participating journals—is inviting readers to recognize trusty lit mags like his own. In that spirit, select mags are offering discounted print copies and digital access, and sharing their origin stories and masthead inspirations with subscribers. Though we love a book party, you may wonder: why a week?
Earlier this year, we covered the unlikely alliance of dating app culture and American letters. And alongside the proliferation of trendy rags like AFM—whose new issue is out this week—we may note buzzy facelifts and rising additions. The Rumpus got a rebrand this spring, thanks to Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman.
And earlier this year, Equator arrived on the scene with a thrilling commitment to international prose. Meanwhile, reliables like The Baffler, Granta, and The Dial continue to hit critical home runs, defying the narrative that says letters are on the outs. In the spirit of that cause célébrer, here are just three literary magazines whose new issues are worth celebrating.
N+1 has hopefully been on your radar for a while now. Founded in 2004, (“in opposition to an intellectual scene that felt disturbingly fragmented,” per the masthead) the Brooklyn-based journal has a rep for nurturing erudite, witty voices and a materialist lens. The new issue is a humdinger.
A highlight is a new short story from Walker Caplan, the author, playwright, and co-editor of Joyland magazine. Our narrator, lately severed from a thumb-headed boss called Mark Uptick, is as droll as she is insightful. Though one senses her powers of persuasion are being misused at this corporate advertising agency.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
