The Reader’s Digest on Literary Mags

N+1
The Back Story: N+1 was founded in 2004 by four young Ivy League graduates with chips on their shoulders and a penchant for name-checking the Frankfurt School. This biannual journal blends political and social commentary with fiction, book reviews, pop culture criticism, and essays from the likes of Sam Lipsyte and James Wood. The founders sought to re-establish the journal as a cultural battleground in an era lacking intellectual cohesion.
Motto: “It is time to say what you mean” but also, “Theory is dead, and long live theory.”
Found in the Hands of: Sad Young Literary Men/Comparative Literature Majors

THE BELIEVER
The Back Story: This warm and fuzzy monthly magazine is published by McSweeney’s and serves as McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern’s hipper cousin. The Believer prints essays, potentially untimely book reviews, extra-long interviews, comics, and an annual music issue with CDs included. The magazine can be easily spotted by its cover format of four illustrations of cultural figures (Orhan Pamuk, G.I. Joe, Borges, Q-Tip). In 2005, The Believer spawned The Wholphin, a quarterly DVD magazine of short films.
Motto: “We will focus on writers and books we like. We will give people and books the benefit of the doubt. The working title of this magazine was The Optimist.”
Found in the Hands of: Optimistic 20-Somethings, Patrons of the 826NYC’s Superhero Supply Co

GRANTA
The Back Story: A modern incarnation of the Cambridge student magazine born in 1889, Granta publishes new fiction and nonfiction work from the likes of Arundhati Roy, Milan Kundera, and Doris Lessing. Devoted to contemporary realist fiction, journalism, and documentary photography, this quarterly journal shies from controversial literary or political positions. Its lists of the twenty promising young British and American writers have a reputation of being almost clairvoyant.
Motto: “The world’s finest writers tackling some of the world’s most important subjects, from intimate human experiences to the large public and political events that have shaped our lives.”
Found in the Hands of: Stogy Old Brits, Future Rhodes Scholars

BOMB
The Back Story: Since 1981, BOMB has been printing interviews with writers, artists, architects, filmmakers, and theatrical directors, in addition to poetry, fiction, and short essays. Today BOMB is a non-profit based in Brooklyn. Its famous archive of artist-to-artist interviews is now held at Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and has featured conversations between Michael Ondaatje and Willem Dafoe, Tony Kushner and Craig Lucas, and Kiki Smith and Chuck Close.
Motto: “Let’s start a magazine, one where artists are able to speak about their work the way in which we speak about it among ourselves.”
Found in the Hands of: Gallery-Goers, Students Mourning the Loss of Kim’s

THE PUBLIC SPACE
The Back Story: A newcomer in 2006, A Public Space was created when founder Brigid Hughes was ousted from her position as managing editor at The Paris Review. This colorful quarterly mainly features fiction and poetry from writers such as Haruki Murakami and Daniel Alarcón. In each issue, the Focus section highlights writing from and about a different region—Antarctica, Japan, and Peru have been picks in the past. In the spirit of exploration, the magazine offers authors a “fieldwork” grant that funds traveling and research for fictional works.
Motto: “If you see something, say something.”
Found in the Hands Of: Brooklynites Searching for a Fresher Paris Review

ONE STORY
The Back Story: One Story features just that in each issue. Since 2002, a tiny booklet containing a single short story has been sent off to subscribers every three weeks. This purist format is based on the belief that a story can be best understood alone, rather than squashing it between an essay on geopolitics and a memoir about summer camp. Often showcasing up-and-coming talent, the magazine has printed works by Nam Le and Scott Snyder—whose One Story edition earned him a book deal—as well as seasoned veterans like Stephen Dixon.
Motto: “Besides, there is always time to read one story.”
Found in the Hands Of: English Majors with Short Attention Spans, People Looking for Better Subway Reading