Arena Publishing Company was an American book and magazine publishing firm of the late 19th century, founded by author and editor

B. O. Flower Benjamin Orange Flower (October 19, 1858 – December 24, 1918), known most commonly by his initials "B.O.", was an American muckraking journalist of the Progressive era. Flower is best remembered as the editor of the liberal commentary magazin ...

Company history

Headquartered in Copley Square in Boston, the firm specialized in fiction and non-fiction books on the progressive causes of the 1890s. Though in existence for only a short period, from 1890 to 1896, Arena issued books by several important progressive figures of the time. The firm has been called "the notoriously radical Arena Publishing Company." Arena released books on political and economic reform and progressive religious movements (including books written by Flower). The company's promotional materials advertised "important books for thoughtful people" on "progressive modern thought and effort." It issued a number of the utopian novels that were a prominent feature of American literature in the late 19th century, along with related speculative and science fiction. "Arena Publishing Company of Boston published twenty or more fantastic fiction volumes between 1892 and 1896." Gustavus W. Pope's '' Journey to Venus the Primeval World; Its Wonderful Creations and Gigantic Monsters'' (1895) is one example. Noteworthy Arena writers and books: * Hamlin Garland, '' Main-Travelled Roads'' (1891) * Hamlin Garland, ''A Spoil of Office'' (1892) * Hamlin Garland, ''Jason Edward'' (1892) * Byron Brooks, '' Earth Revisited'' (1892) * Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Merchant, ''

Unveiling a Parallel ''Unveiling a Parallel: A Romance'' is a Feminism, feminist science fiction and Utopian and dystopian fiction, utopian novel published in 1893 in literature, 1893. The first edition of the book attributed authorship to "Two Women of the West." Th ...

'' (1893) * Elbert Hubbard, ''One Day: A Tale of the Prairies'' (1893) * Elbert Hubbard, ''Forbes of Harvard'' (1894) * Solomon Schindler, ''

Young West ''Young West: A Sequel to Edward Bellamy's Celebrated Novel "Looking Backward"'' is an 1894 utopian novel, written by Solomon Schindler, radical rabbi of Boston. As its subtitle indicates, the book was one of the many responses and sequels to ...

'' (1894) * Castello Holford, ''

Aristopia ''Aristopia: A Romance-History of the New World'' is an 1895 in literature, 1895 Utopian and dystopian fiction, utopian novel by Castello Holford, considered the first novel-length alternate history in English language, English (and among the ea ...

'' (1895) * John McCoy, '' A Prophetic Romance'' (1896) *

William D. McCrackan William Dennison McCrackan (1864 – June 12, 1923) was an American journalist and author of books on history and travel. In 1900, he converted to Christian Science and became a Christian Science practitioner, teacher and lecturer. Life McCrac ...

, ''The Rise of the Swiss Republic'' (1892) The firm's radicalism reached even into the format of its books. Flower believed that the standard printing format of black ink on white paper caused eyestrain; Schindler's ''Young West'', a sequel to Edward Bellamy's famous '' Looking Backward'', was issued with colored borders, that varied among blue, green, and yellow page margins. Arena also produced popular fiction that concerned socially progressive issues. The titles and authors are now largely forgotten; Helen H. Gardener's feminist novel ''Pray You, Sir, Whose Daughter?'' (1892) and M. L. Cowles's ''Redpath: Life on a Southern Plantation'' (1893) are not unrepresentative. Flower nourished an interest in spiritualism — he served on the board of directors of the American Psychical Society — and published spiritual novels like Mary Clay Knapp's ''Whose Soul Have I Now?'' (1896). Along with its books, the firm also published a monthly journal titled ''

The Arena An arena is an enclosed area that showcases theatre, musical performances or sporting events. Arena, ARENA, or the Arena may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Arena, Saskatchewan, Canada * Arena, Iran * Arena, Calabria, Italy * La ...

'', edited by Flower, which called itself "the leading progressive review of the world." The journal featured articles and essays by the company's authors, like Garland and Schindler, plus early work by Frank Norris, Stephen Crane, and Upton Sinclair.Stanley Wertheim, ''A Stephen Crane Encyclopedia'', Westport, CT, Greenwood Press, 1997; p. 109. It reached a circulation of 30,000 copies. When the company folded in 1896 due to debts and lawsuits, the journal continued to publish under other management.

Company history

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Further reading