LitMag: Issue 01

by Marc Berley (Editor), Elvis Bego (Contributor), Bethany Edstrom (Contributor)

LitMag is a print journal of fiction, poetry and nonfiction, a home of great new writing by established, emerging and unknown writers. The inaugural issue incudes work by John Ashbery, Harold Bloom, Kelly Cherry, William H. Gass, Kevin Moffet, Chinelo Okparanta, Bette Pesetsky, Christine Sneed, Marc Watkins. Other contributors include Elvis Bego, Bethany Edstrom, J.C. Jordan, Emily Saso, Judith Skillman, and more. Edited by Marc Berley.

Issue 01
Publication Date: June 12, 2017

Table of Contents

Fiction
Elvis Bego, The Word Is the Word
Bethany Edstrom, Hand and Foot
Kevin Moffett, City of Trees
Chinelo Okparanta, David & Osi
Valerie O’Riordan, Bad Girl
Bette Pesetsky, Demimonde
Emily Saso, All the Bells
Christine Sneed, In the Park
Marc Watkins, For the Love of Broken Things

Nonfiction
Harold Bloom, Who Else Is There?
Kelly Cherry, My Beethoven
William H. Gass, Excerpt from Baroque Prose

Poetry
John Ashbery, Just the One Episode
Jonathan Greenhause, Parts Unknown
J. C. Jordan, 40 East to Knoxville
Judith Skillman, China Shop
John Stupp, The Foundry

228 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2017

Reviews

[Michael B Tager · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely journal. I was asked to review it and I'm glad I did. I really dug The Lit Mag 1 and I'm looking forward to more. Not every piece works-For the Love of Broken Things was pretty borderline for me-but that's the nature of journals. Overall, thematically and tonally the collection cohered in a lovely, elegiac way.

The fiction and poetry within were of wonderful quality. I especially loved the epistolary story In the Park by Christine Sneed about a dissolving marriage. I also enjoyed the fragile beauty of the final story in the journal, All the Bells by Emily Saso, about a teenage relationship undergoing natural, inevitable change due to outside and familiar pressure.

While the nonfiction wasn't so much to my taste, erring on the side of lecturing essays about high brow concept, I did quite like the personal essay delve into Beethoven in the aptly named My Beethoven. And for some readers, these in-depth recitations of Shakespeare and Baroque churches might be super on point.

I hope the next issue comes my way as well.

[Patricia]

This is a new literary magazine of short fiction, nonfiction and poetry, in a paperback book format, and is available online as well. Writers submit their work online only. I read Issue #1, Spring 2017.

[Sean McSpadden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inaugural issue of LitMag in Spring 2017 had peaks and valleys. Some of these stories, such as “David & Osi,” exemplify literary fiction at its best. “The Word is the Word, by Elvis Bego, meanwhile, felt formulaic and allegorical. All of them, even Bego’s piece, spanned a variety of different genres, page lengths, and writing styles. For a first issue, it certainly hit par at the very least.

Great for Seasoned Readers and Imposing for Novices

The magazine looks and feels very similar to Tin House. LitMag’s story to poetry to nonfiction ratio makes it most attractive to fiction readers. Unlike The Southern Review or Salmagundi, LitMag pushes fiction first.

In this issue, it carried 9 short stories—far above most literary magazines like it.

Although this issue left a little to be wanted, the style, aesthetic, and direction of the magazine seem to be sound. Seasoned literary magazine subscribers will certainly enjoy adding this to their list. If a novice, consider looking at Tin House before moving to LitMag as this issue required more patience and a willingness to experience high highs and low lows.

The Short Stories in LitMag Spring 2017

“The Word is the Word” by Elvis Bego...

To read the full review click here