There’s something very exciting about the debut of a literary journal.
All the tension and turmoil bubbling around the publishing world these days can leave those of us who are in love with words feeling sad, worried, and a little bit hopeless. Enter a new lit mag and our hope is renewed … The word lives. The word thrives. Hooray for the word!
And three cheers for the debut of The Literarian, an online journal from The Center for Fiction.
“ We’re here to celebrate and support the extraordinary breadth of literary fiction in the U.S. and around the world,” writes editor Dawn Raffel in the welcome letter.
The first issue includes six short stories, interviews with Cynthia Ozick, Yiyun Li, a video of Sam Lipsyte reading from his novel “The Ask,” and an essay by Martha McPhee about her five favorite novels with women behaving badly. Each issue takes a world view, too, by publishing highlights from international literary magazines. This issue showcases Wet Ink from Australia and the St. Petersburg Review. Future issues promise a venue for emerging writers.
It’s not all storm and stress in the world of words. At least I don’t think so, and neither does The Center for Fiction. That’s good news for writers, readers, and everyone else in love with words.
PS: I would be remiss in my devotion to Philip Roth if I missed this opportunity to mention his upcoming visit to The Center for Fiction on February 24 at 7 pm. Oh, to live in New York again!!
Away with Words 