‘The Believer’ journal to stop publication (however the competition lives on)

The Believer journal, the acclaimed literary and cultural criticism bi-monthly printed by the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute in UNLV’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, will finish publication after its spring 2022 concern.

Based in 2003, the five-time Nationwide Journal Award finalist was printed by Dave Eggers’ impartial press imprint McSweeney’s for the primary a part of its existence, earlier than it was acquired by BMI in 2017. Through the years the journal printed a powerful array of acclaimed and up-and-coming writers and illustrators, together with Amy Sedaris, Hilton Als, Sarah Marshall, Nick Hornby and Michael Kupperman.

It additionally impressed the creation of the annual Believer Fest, which drew writers, cultural commentators and musicians like Aimee Mann, Jonathan Lethem and Anita Sarkeesian to talk and carry out round Las Vegas.

The Believer flourished for a time underneath BMI, however the one-two punch of the coronavirus slowdown and the powerful sledding all magazines face in a largely digital world has left “no path ahead to proceed publishing the journal,” Jennifer Keene, dean of UNLV’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, stated in an announcement.

Although the assertion doesn’t say as a lot, it’s additionally straightforward to deduce that the April resignation of The Believer’s former editor-in-chief Joshua Wolf Shenk—who stepped down in ignominy after exposing himself throughout a Zoom name—didn’t assist the journal’s long-term prospects.

Keene provides that the dissolution of The Believer frees up sources that may be redirected “to the initiatives most central to BMI’s mission”—together with literary fellowships and the “Metropolis of Asylum” secure haven program for writers who face persecution of their residence international locations.

And the 2022 Believer Competition remains to be scheduled to go on April 28-30, after The Believer’s ultimate concern is printed.

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