Okay, so let's get the order of events correct.
First, Cliff at Perpetual Folly tipped me off to Evanston Now, a local online news source in the Northwestern area (where TriQuarterly is published). Evanston Now reported that the Northwestern University Press, which publishes TriQuarterly, would be scaling back a number of its operations. Mentioned in the article is the idea that TriQuarterly would move to an online venue rather than print.
Okay. That didn't sound disastrous to me. A number of new journals have used the online format rather than print. Plus, two powerhouses are now in the online arena — Electric Literature and Narrative. I think they lend a lot of credibility to the medium.
Is it a shame to all us print-and-ink nostalgiacs that TriQuarterly has to stop printing after 45 years? Absolutely. But does it ruin the literary journal? Not at all. In fact, I think that in the future the hierarchies will be reversed, and online publication will be more highly prized than print.
But then Hannah Tinti of One Story tipped me off to this new post on Work In Progress, which says TriQuarterly isn't moving online, it's being shut down. Apparently, "moving online" was a euphemism for cutting all paid editorial positions and giving some open-source software to students. Bleh.
Apparently, associate editor Ian Morris apparently sent out this email:
"After terminating TriQuarterly’s print operation and our editorial positions next April, Northwestern University will be giving the name TriQuarterly to an online “open source” student-run journal in the university’s department of continuing studies."
I'd like to wait and see what shape this new journal with the old name takes, but cutting all the funding virtually guaruntees a plunge in quality.
The real question on everyone's minds: Which literary journal will be next to fall?
2 comments
I wouldn’t say Electric Literature is a powerhouse. So far they’ve had one issue, and issue two is already way behind schedule. Also, I think, they are going to run into serious financial difficulty paying such high writers’ fees (not that’s a bad thing) — I mean, where’s the money coming from?
C-L, you’re correct that it’s far too early in the game for such lofty pronouncements. I semi-retract. But Electric Literature did come out with a smashing debut with high-level authors, amazing animated promotions, and a wonderful (and progressive) distribution model. So far, I’m impressed.
Plus, you’re speculating about the money — perhaps they really do have it (or have investors).