This "Blockseminar" explores the rich and varied culture of the so-called modernist ”little” magazines that emerged throughout Britain and America in the early twentieth century. Defined by Suzanne W. Churchill and Adam McKible as ”non-commercial enterprises founded by individuals or small groups intent upon publishing the experimental works or radical opinions of untried, unpopular, or under-represented writers,” (6) little magazines played a crucial role in defying mainstream tastes and providing a platform for the publication of modernist literature and art.
One aim of the course is to arrive at a better understanding of periodical publications as a certain type of media: How does reading a magazine differ from reading a book? What is the relationship between author, editor and reader? How might we understand the practice of magazine editing itself as a form of art? In addition to addressing these broader theoretical questions, we will develop a range of critical and analytical methods for reading modernist little magazines. In particular, we will investigate how they functioned as platforms for the promotion of modern poetry, how they experimented with the conventions of magazine publishing and how they engaged with or resisted contemporary commercial culture.
Students participating in this course will learn how to work with digital archives such as the Modernist Journals Project (http://modjourn.org) from which our primary reading will be drawn.
Note: The set reading will be made available on Learnweb at least two weeks ahead of the course. As the reading load for each session of a "Blockseminar" will naturally be higher than for a regular seminar session, students should aim to acquaint themselves with the set reading before the beginning of the course. The deadline for submitting the course assessment will be 23 July 2023.
- Lehrende/r: Ellen Barth
- Lehrende/r: Evelyn Heinz