By Feliks Garcia, Offsite Editor
If you’re between books on your summer reading list, we recommend taking a short break to focus your attention on the lush abundance of literary work in independent litmags. We presume if you’re reading this, you already know about The Offing and the beautiful, remarkable writers who contribute, so we’d like to take a moment to highlight four literary magazines who have put out new work this summer.
Guernica Special Issue, “The Boundaries of Taste”
The second of four special issues this year, “The Boundaries of Taste” explores the politics of taste — that is what one prefers in art, food, music, film, literature — as a “potent organizing principle, our insidious means to decide who we’re with and who we’re against, who belongs and who doesn’t.” The issue features non-fiction, fiction, art, and interviews, including a talk with “The People’s Pervert,” director John Waters.
Full Stop Quarterly, Issue 01
This is Full Stop’s first first quarterly edition. Since 2011, the publication has published literary criticism that “focuses on the overlooked, the strange, and the as-yet unrealized,” as well as interviews and essay features. The quarterly combines this brilliant work in a beautifully designed digital edition. Readers can download a single issue, or subscribe for a year.
Moss: An Online Journal of the Northwest, Issue 03
The third issue — and every issue — of Moss aims to remind readers that, “in the Northwest, art, creativity, and history are all around us.” Since launch last year, Moss has published standout work of authors from the region and has worked to preserve obscured work, like Robert Cantwell’s republished 1935 short story, “Hills Around Centralia.” The current issue features an interview with Seattle’s prolific writer and Lambda winner, Rebecca Brown, as well her new essay, “Four Memories of Breath.”
The James Franco Review, Issue 03
“An open door is an open door,” reads the caption in the header of The James Franco Review. Despite his Columbia MFA, the actor has nothing to do with the magazine; instead, the mission statement speaks closely to our hearts at The Offing. The Review publishes work by underrepresented writers, and defies readers to, “Allow room for what isn’t supposed to happen, characters you don’t always get to see. Be brave. Read dangerously.” The third issue features poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and was guest edited by Ashley Ford, Michelle Peñaloza, and Eric Boyd.
We’re always looking for new magazines to check out. Follow us and tweet us at @theoffingmag with your picks!