I don't think that I have ever willingly and independently submitted anything that I've written to any sort of literary magazine. My big hesitation is. . . What's the point? I submit something that I've worked diligently on to a snooty magazine or on campus publication, hope that what I've done is better than anyone else who submits, and then maybe it will be added to a minor publication. And then what? My words are out in the great vastness of space to wither away and be read a handful of times. And that's if it's even published.
I'm not a huge fan of writing because I'm forced to. Nor am I a fan of my work being used to build up someone else's reputation. I barely enjoy using so-called scholarly writing to make myself seem like an intelligent and well informed scholar. Heaven knows that I am far off from the typical idea of the scholar. If I'm going to write and have it be read, I want it to reflect myself and not necessarily be used to show the elitist nature of a magazine. Follow?
On her blog for our digital culture class, Natasha Watts expressed her frustration with the pretentiousness of some literary magazines as well as their readers. Read her post about it here. Her solution was to create an online literary magazine that would take submissions from readers, allow for better writer/reader interaction, and just be a darn happier place to be. And you can read a little about that idea here. We're teaming up with four other student from class to do just that. But we're going to need a lot of input from audiences to really get us going.
This is a call to all my pals that have any sort of interest in the subject. Do you feel like literary magazines are elitist? Too hard to become part of? Not accessible enough? Don't include the kind of writing that you want to read? Our design has a lot of potential to get more writers read through voting systems, a wide variety of genres, abilities to interact with writers, and a user friendly online format. Weigh in on what you think, even if you think that we're being ridiculous. Cliche ending statement: The possibilities are endless!
I'm not a huge fan of writing because I'm forced to. Nor am I a fan of my work being used to build up someone else's reputation. I barely enjoy using so-called scholarly writing to make myself seem like an intelligent and well informed scholar. Heaven knows that I am far off from the typical idea of the scholar. If I'm going to write and have it be read, I want it to reflect myself and not necessarily be used to show the elitist nature of a magazine. Follow?
On her blog for our digital culture class, Natasha Watts expressed her frustration with the pretentiousness of some literary magazines as well as their readers. Read her post about it here. Her solution was to create an online literary magazine that would take submissions from readers, allow for better writer/reader interaction, and just be a darn happier place to be. And you can read a little about that idea here. We're teaming up with four other student from class to do just that. But we're going to need a lot of input from audiences to really get us going.
This is a call to all my pals that have any sort of interest in the subject. Do you feel like literary magazines are elitist? Too hard to become part of? Not accessible enough? Don't include the kind of writing that you want to read? Our design has a lot of potential to get more writers read through voting systems, a wide variety of genres, abilities to interact with writers, and a user friendly online format. Weigh in on what you think, even if you think that we're being ridiculous. Cliche ending statement: The possibilities are endless!
I definitely have interest in this idea! I've never even attempted to submit a piece of mine to a literary magazine because of these very reasons. I would be all over this! Thanks for voicing the concerns I could never put into words :)
ReplyDeleteHmm very interesting. I must say that the literary articles that I've remembered and enjoyed the most were always the ones that used understandable language, that weren't super long, and that stayed on topic. Sometimes in classes there were some seemingly obscure essays that once explained to me by the professor made sense and were helpful, but the process was usually painful. I do think that there is value in using strong and varied language, but it does get a bit elitist when that language is so confusing that it creates a barrier between "scholars" and more general readers who thought they were interested in the topic of an article. I think the writer/reader communication is brilliant. We talked about it all the time in my Postmodern classes: how can the reader re-interpret and re-write the author's meaning to create even more meaning, right? But to go even further and actually make that communication possible is very cool, I think. And yes, the more variety there is, the more likely someone will be interested in participating. Great idea!!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of an open online lit magazine because it may mean more information available for research. There would be a vast variety of perspectives on many literary topics, which is exciting!
ReplyDeleteI do have one wondering though: is a standard for certain literary magazines beneficial in many ways? For example, when researching for reliable information in the sphere of literature, there are certain magazines that have a reputation for a reason. I do not see their high standard as pretentious; in my opinion, the reputation of a well-known literary magazine comes more from the fact that the articles included are well-researched and thorough.
I think that an online literary magazine created in a forum-like style would be really neat and interesting, but it would fulfill different purposes than the esteemed literary magazines. I see it in the same way as how Wikipedia is a good source of information for quick knowledge. However, if you are looking to write a detailed report for a class or something, then you will probably seek the facts from a concrete academic source that only the most informed scholars are allowed to publish in.
To summarize: I think that the reputations of certain literary magazines help scholars, readers, and writers choose reliable sources for researched information and perspectives on literary subjects. On the other hand, for creative works and reader/writer interaction, I think that a well-established online literary magazine would be an excellent idea.
I guess that in order to answer your questions more directly, I do believe that literary magazines are elitist in a way; however, like I explained earlier, this is to the benefit of one who is researching for one reason or another. The idea that your class has is awesome; I would go there if I was seeking fun reading. I would not go there if I was looking for academic information.
That is all for now!
I agree with the comment above that an online format would involve a lot more people. It is definitely way more appealing to me to read something that hits close to home as opposed to feeling like I'm reading a Literary-style clinical journal. I don't want to feel like I am reading required reading.
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely be interested in participating in this future project as both a writer and a reader. Word. You rock, Nic.