The Bookman (magazine)
The Bookman was a notable literary magazine that gained prominence in the 1920s under the editorial leadership of John Farrar. It became a crucial platform for both American and British writers, featuring notable authors like Joseph Conrad, Amy Lowell, and Upton Sinclair. The magazine served as a meeting point for literary critics, poets, and commentators, fostering an exchange of ideas across the literary landscapes of the United States and the United Kingdom. Typical issues included a mix of creative writing, poetry, and commentary on theater in major cultural hubs such as New York City and London. Alongside literary reviews, The Bookman provided insights into the book retail industry, reflecting its connections with publishers and bookstores. The magazine also aimed to engage readers with the vibrant literary life of the 1920s, often showcasing popular writers and discussing contemporary publishing trends. Although it ceased publication in 1933, The Bookman left a lasting legacy as a key player in the literary community, linking the worlds of publishing, authorship, and bookselling.
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Subject Terms
The Bookman (magazine)
Identification: American monthly literary journal focused on the world of books, authors, publishers, and booksellers
Date: 1895 to 1933
Under the editorship of John Farrar, The Bookman became an especially important journal in the 1920s when it began publishing a higher quality of authors, including Joseph Conrad, Amy Lowell, Upton Sinclair, Rebecca West, and many others.
In the 1920s, The Bookman became one of the most important publications for literary critics, commentators on the literary scene, poets, and fiction writers. While a good many features in the journal focused on American subjects, it also included important interviews with British writers such as Joseph Conrad. Through its correspondents, notably Rebecca West, the British and American literary worlds enjoyed an interchange of ideas, with American and British writers commenting on one another’s work.
The typical issue included creative writing (short fiction and short plays) and poetry. Regular columnists reported on theater in New York City and London. Literary works were reviewed, but many articles were labeled “gossip,” meaning they conveyed news and commentary about new books or literary personalities. Separate articles on booksellers reflected the close ties between publishers and bookstores. Indeed, certain publishers such as Scribner and Doubleday owned their own book shops, and news of the retail trade in books became one of the journal’s customary features.
Commentary in elite literary and theater circles about new books and plays formed a central part of the journal’s appeal. Features on literary neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village made readers feel part of the flourishing literary life, especially in 1920s New York. Popular writers of the 1920s would also receive treatment in feature-length articles. Similarly, omnibus articles about American fiction and the different publishing seasons rounded out an effort to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary writing. Occasionally, articles on the other arts would also be included in reports on recent cultural developments.
Throughout the 1920s, issues of The Bookman ran to more than one hundred pages and presented the perspectives not only of literary figures but also of publishers and booksellers. Indeed, Farrar, a close friend of several important literary figures of the 1920s, established his own publishing house and integrated the interests of The Bookman with the concerns of authors, editors, and book collectors.
Impact
Though it was to close in 1933, throughout the 1920s The Bookman retained its influential position as a purveyor of the latest literary news, while linking the commercial world of publishing and bookselling with the concerns of contemporary authors, many of whom wrote for the journal and were also the subjects of major articles by distinguished critics and other professionals in the bookselling and publishing worlds.
Bibliography
Chielens, Edward. American Literary Magazines: The Twentieth Century. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992.
Farrar, John C., ed. “The Bookman” Anthology of Essays. New York: Doubleday Doran, 1923.
Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines, Vol. 5: Sketches of Twenty-One Magazines 1905–1930. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1968.