Reading Nineteenth Century Literary Magazines as Anthologies

Project Abstract

Throughout the nineteenth century, countless stories, tales, sketches, and serialized episodes of fiction were produced on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis, establishing the careers and elevating the reputation of many popular writers of the age. Literary magazines were, in fact, one of the main means of literary consumption of the time. Similarly, today a primary means of consuming and circulating literature, both for personal pleasure and classroom instruction, is through an anthology collection. The nineteenth century literary magazine mirrors not only the circulation of popular interest but the educational, even pedagogical function of the modern anthology. The ways in which we understand and consequently read nineteenth century literary magazines and anthologies tend to be separated into different fields of study. However, since each literary collection fulfills the same role in their respective relationship with literary content and readership, it is reasonable to wonder if the two containers can be read as fundamentally the same type of literary genre and how a modern reader can engage with the literature within. As such, this study seeks to investigate the connection between literary magazines and anthologies to determine how nineteenth century literary magazines can be appropriate substitutes for canonical anthologies in the literature classroom, particularly a college-level survey or a special-topics course.

This project builds on the foundation of a theoretical approach to a cross-genre reading of the literary magazine, anthology, and short story. The basis of this approach to an interdisciplinary study is the closely knit similarity between the nineteenth century literary magazine and the anthology; they share structural similarities as well as essential procedures of collecting literature. Further, their shared function—purpose and reading experience—qualify them as viable grounds to be read in tandem and as a critical intersection of literary study. Additionally, the development, circulation, and preservation of literary content, contextualized to the nineteenth century and the modern literature classroom, respectively, further develops their shared purpose and significant influence as literary containers. The most important connection is the variety, multiplicity, and openness essential to both forms. It is in this multifarious nature that the subversion and expansive meaning-making potential of the short narrative fiction can flourish. Likewise, the openness of readership invites an evolution of scholarship in the disciplines of both nineteenth century literary and nineteenth century periodical studies. This cross-reading foundation leads into an analysis of select magazines of the period, The Iris (1830) and The Philathenic (1845), both in content (literary matter) and context (reading circulation and precedent) as examples of the form and function of the literary magazine as anthology. The conclusion of this study is that the interdisciplinary approach of reading the nineteenth century literary magazine as an anthology invigorates the study of nineteenth century literature as well as the instruction and deeper scholastic investigation of nineteenth century periodical studies, which invites rich possibility for expanding genre education and even canonical (re)considerations.

Funding Type

Research Grant

Academic College

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Area/Major/Minor

English Pedagogy

Degree

Doctor of Arts

Classification

Graduate

Name

Dr. Zachary Garrett

Academic College

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

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