LITERARY SOCIETY JOURNALS
VARIOUS
Where there's a major-name writer there is usually a Society dedicated to that writer. And where there is a literary Society there is almost always a members-only journal. Simultaneously scholarly and casual, these journals will investigate every, (and I mean every) aspect of a writer's life and work, from Lewis Carroll's 4th cousin, to tackling thorny issues like the capitalization (or non-capitalization) of E.E. Cummings' name, or mapping the piggery that inspired P.G. Wodehouse. Their design is usually restrained (the journal of the William Morris Society, above, could almost have been done by Kenya Hara) , although the contents can be quite eccentric, indeed. Print editions are increasingly rare (when I checked ABE for back issues of The Wildean a few months back there were 20 or so issues, a search today found only one), digital versions are increasingly becoming the norm. Which is a shame because these journals represent the kind of labor-of-love publications I'm always drawn to: they represent a huge amount of study, imagination, and passionate single-mindedness without ever expecting to turn a profit. They are objects of devotion.
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