A Public Space

05/25/07

apsa.jpgA Public Space
6" x 8"
200 pages, perfect bound
full color cover, 2-color inside
$12

As usual, I discovered A Public Space initially because I wandered into their first issue party. How can you resist a beautiful loft space, free booze and a free copy of a mag?—I guess I'm pretty easy. There's a magazine launch party at least once a week in New York so aside from not really having to buy drinks, we end up with stacks of stuff to look at. Most of which is crap. In fact, it's rare that I leave a party with a magazine I'd gladly continue to buy. A Public Space is one of them and last night on my endless trip home from Dallas I read issue 3 from cover to cover. This Brooklyn-based newish (on their 3rd issue) literary magazine is edited by former Paris Review executive editor Brigid Hughes. They describe themselves this way on their about page: "We encourage writers to get away from their desks and investigate what intrigues them, explore, snoop around. There are no boundaries, and we will support writers wherever they take us." I like the theme of investigation that's present throughout the book, from David Levi-Strauss' essay on Chile and writing at night to a special section on Peru to Sam Stephenson's archiving of photographer W. Eugene Smith's life and work. All those pieces were stand outs for me. The focus on Peru is great and includes an essay on young Peruvian writers and the themes that unite them, and photographs of resistance fighters and peasant life in Peru in the 80s and 90s. It's easy for me to space out trying to read a literary journal but so far I'm really enjoying this one.

Buy single issues or subscribe here.

Read More? Literary Journal

posted by Ms. Keough on 11:09 with No Comments


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