Journaleditors are supposed to prepare for “Secession Planning” —– aka. what happensto their lit mag after they’re gone. Much like writing a will and medicaldirective, even poets, many of whom think about death incessantly, likely putoff this unpleasant task.
Irecently discovered that the website for Front Porch Review was down. I was saddened to discoverthis and immediately feared the worst. Sadly, my suspicions were confirmed—the editor had died. Glen Phillips’ journal, FrontPorch Review, focused on writing that he believed would appeal to an olderaudience. I love this decision because it fulfilled a niche market for readersand because he was selective in his curation. From experience, I know thistakes a great deal of time, attention, and effort. Glen was kind enough toaccept a few of my poems over the years for publication in his journal,however, he rejected many more. Glen wasdiscerning and deserves credit for this since not all lit mags stay true totheir mission.
Litmags shutter for many reasons. The death of the editor is not the most commonreason. Burnout is a major factor. Duotrope appropriately lists new journals as“fledgling”. It’s a reminder to prospective contributors that what is new maynot last. I would hazard the average life expectancy of a new journal is threeyears. People get excited about a new project, and then they get excited aboutwhat’s next.
Theliterary community has lost many heritage journals in the past couple yearsbecause their longtime institutional partners decided the lit mags were notinvaluable to their “mission”. The Gettysburg Review is a prominent example.
Sadly,so many journals that fold do not leave a digital footprint. I’ve published inmany of these journals over the years. (Note: a reminder to keep your ownrecords and save copies of your work. The internet, it turns out, isimpermanent after all.) Regarding the loss of lit mags, I’m less sad for myselfthan the literary community. It’s a reminder that we need to figure out,collectively, how we wish to handle this.
Oneissue concerns the matter of what is considered “previously published”. If ajournal is defunct, and the work is no longer available to the public, shouldthe work be considered newly available for publication? It’s not a blank slatethough. If it’s not the first time the work has been published then, surely “FirstRights” cannot be the correct way to categorize a reprint. But the rights don’tmatter much to a journal no longer extant. What is the writer to do? How shouldlit mags handle this?
Iwas reminded that the rapid closure of Small Press Distribution (SPD) left a boatload of print lit mags andpressesin a terrible situation. Some started GoFundMe and Kickstartercampaigns to help get their books back from the SPD warehouse and recouplosses. (A Google search will reveal that some of thesecampaigns remain active.)
Thereare journals that are rising to the occasion or have risen from the ashes. Journals need to remain pliable andprepared to restructure in this volatile ecosystem.
Journalsand presses need our support.
Whatdo you think lit mags should do so writers’ work doesn’t disappear along with adefunct journal?
Anon-exhaustive list of lit mags that no longer exist:
TheGettysburg Review ; Front Porch Review ; Menacing Hedge ; Gertrude ; Field ; TinHouse ; Glimmer Train ; First City Review ; Moonshot Magazine ; Green MountainsReview ; Rupture (formerly The Collagist) ; Upstreet ; Image ; Birdfeast ; EveningStreet Review; Forklift Ohio ; Fifth Wednesday ; Jubilat ; Camera Obscura ; Subprimal; Red River Review ; Illya’s Honey ; Indiana Voice Journal ; Poetry Breakfast ;Melancholy Hyperbole ; Earthen Lamp Journal ; Elohi Gadugi ; The Transnational ;Absinthe Poetry Review ; HEArt Journal Online ; Word Soup ;Whirlwind Magazine ;cellpoems ; Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal ; Carbon Culture Review ; Measure; The Formalist ; Boston Literary Magazine ; NEON: a literary magazine ; Messagein a Bottle ; Really System ; The Lost River Review ; decomP ; Paper Nautilus ;The Phoenix Review ; Otoliths ; Muddy River Poetry Review ; Burntdistrict ; SledgehammerReview ; After The Pause ; Snow Monkey ; Broadsided ; Toho Journal ; Every DayPoets ; Short, Fast, and Deadly ; Vita Brevis ; Apeiron Review ; Blast Furnace ;Camroc Press Review ; Big River Poetry Review ; Elimae ; softblow ; Crack theSpine ; Four and Twenty ; Foliate Oak ; counterexample poetics ; quatrain.fish; Inclement ; Volta ; Awl ; Sycamore Review ; By&By ; SYNAPSE ; Donut Factory ; Lemon Quarterly ; DistrictLit ; Grievous Angel ; Dreams & Nightmares ; Touch: The Journal of Healing; Crab Fat Magazine ; Atomic: a journal of short poetry ; The Hamilton StoneReview ; Goblin Fruit ; Heart ; Rove ; Yarn ; Egress ; qarrtsiluni ; CentrifugalEye ; Sow’s Ear ; Dirty Napkin ; Hysterical Rag ; Paper Darts ; AmericanJournal of Poetry ; Clover ; Midwestern Gothic ; Mythium ; Chattahoochee Review; Black Clock ; Nerve Cowboy ; Construction ; Border Crossing ; Eclipse ; Storyscape; Pudding House ; Wind Publications ; Crosswinds ; Glass ; Bloom ; CossackReview ; Passengers ; Radio Silence ; Broad Street ; Public Pool ; Brain, Child; Catapult ; High Desert Journal ; New Rivers Press ; Ruminate ; Yellow ChairReview ; The Blue Nib ; Entropy Magazine ; The Avatar Review ; Bridge ; TopicalPoetry ;
Fewerthan 500
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Inthe process of shuttering…
ValparaisoPoetry Review (in the processing of closing down operations) – Editor EdwardByrne has confirmed this, I’m told.
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Listof literary magazines (Wikipedia) (Note: It bothers me ONEARThas not been added to this list.) Anyhow, scroll down to “Magazines which areno longer published”
Category:Defunct literary magazines published in the United States (Wikipedia)
Category:Defunct literary magazines (Wikipedia)
Mark Danowsky isEditor-in-Chief of ONE ART: a journal of poetry. He is the author offour poetry books. His latest poetry collection is Meatless (Plan BPress). Take Care is forthcoming from Moon Tide Press in 2025.
