Celebrate with us
January 2012
Published: December 2, 2011
This month we mark the start of The Writer’s 125th year in publication, a major milestone in the life of the longest-running writing magazine in the U.S. Just think: When The Writer first appeared in 1887, authors of the day included such literary greats as Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy, Louisa May Alcott, Thomas Hardy, Herman Melville, Emile Zola, Walt Whitman and Kate Chopin!
In our first issue, editors Robert Luce and William H. Hills—both reporters at the Boston Globe—spelled out nine goals for the magazine, including these:
To give plain and practical hints, helps, and suggestions about preparing and editing manuscripts.
To collect and publish the experiences, experiments, and observations of literary people, for the benefit of all writers.
To aid young writers in reaching the public by advising them how to make their copy salable.
One hundred twenty-five years later, our mission remains unchanged: To inspire, instruct and inform writers at all skill levels.
Look for a number of anniversary-related features in this issue—and throughout the year. For example, in “Writers on Writing” (page 12), Gabriel Packard asks Stephen Merchant about the most useful thing he has learned about writing. In “125 years of The Writer and you” (page 10), an Australian reader shares her special connection with the magazine. And in “The Writer List” (page 26) four accomplished writers offer an opinionated look at their favorite fictional characters of all time.
Online, send us a fun photo of yourself holding an issue of The Writer—and check out what other readers have posted, too. Go to “Where in the world is The Writer?” at writermag.com/photos. |