The Little Magazines of the Harlem Renaissance

The little magazines of the Harlem Renaissance are explored at Book Riot. "These literary journals could be compared to the ‘zine movement of the late twentieth century—the little magazines allowed space for not just poetry and prose, but also for essays of radicalism, of experimental writing, and for space for subversion," writes Kelly Jensen. More:

One of the cornerstones of the little magazines of the Harlem Renaissance was their focus on publishing new and little known voices, right alongside some of the powerhouses of black literature. The magazines were primarily distributed locally, though some had a more national reach; this, of course, influenced the voices and perspectives presented and the intended audiences for the magazines. 

The Harlem Renaissance emerged at the same time as the modernism movement in American literary history, and many of the discussions that occurred within the modernist movement were mirrored in not just the Harlem Renaissance movement but also within their little magazines. Many felt the magazines should take a political stance. Others, however, felt they should be forums to allow art to stand for art’s sake. Even reading through the journals, one sees these divides—a reminder that, despite being part of a flourishing and historically significant movement, no movement is a monolith. It’s nuanced, it’s complicated, and it’s what makes literary history and the growth of powerful writing endure.

Little magazines, as vital as they were to the Harlem Renaissance and literary history, are exceedingly hard to track down...

Read on at Book Riot.