Readings in Nonfiction

The Literary Magazine and Writing Trends

The Literary Magazine has had a long and important role in American letters, and literary magazines continue to launch careers and announce new directions in the literary landscape. As such, literary magazines are by no means the "Minor Leagues," but are where most young writers will first showcase their talents. For this reason, it's important for any writer to be familiar with the field, not only for the sake of publication, but to be a vital part of the literary discussion going on in literary journals rather than simply playing catch-up by reading Best American Essays or The Pushcart Prizes.

We'll start out the course by discussing the history of the literary magazine in the U.S., at least from the 20th century on. But we'll quickly move to an in-depth discussion of 12 influential contemporary literary magazines in the U.S. Every week, we'll speak live with the editor of various important literary magazines, from Ploughshares to Virginia Quarterly Review to the Missouri Review, New Letters, and our own Iowa Review. We won't spend a lot of time on the nuts and bolts questions, but more on aesthetic considerations, and what editors across the country see in common as well as ways in which each magazine seeks a different literary voice, not only in terms of its essays but also in terms of its fiction and poetry.