''Open City Magazine and Books'' was a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

-based

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

and book publisher that featured many first-time writers alongside those who are well known. The editors were Thomas Beller and Joanna Yas.

History and profile

Thomas Beller and Daniel Pinchbeck founded the magazine in 1991, and were soon joined by Robert Bingham, who in 1999 founded the book series. It was published by a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, Open City, Inc. ''Open City Magazine'' was produced three times per year. Open City Books released two to four books per year. Their first book was a collection of poetry by David Berman. The magazine and books were distributed to the trade by

Publishers Group West Publishers Group West (PGW) is a book distributor founded in 1976 in Berkeley, California, which distributes to bookstores in the U.S. and internationally. They were the largest distributor of independent presses in the U.S. in the 1990s. In 2007, ...

. Writers published in the magazine include Mary Gaitskill, Richard Yates, Irvine Welsh, David Foster Wallace, Robert Stone,

Martha McPhee Martha McPhee (born 1965) is an American novelist whose work focuses on American social and financial mobility. Her second novel was a 2002 National Book Award finalist, and she has been the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and ...

, Nick Tosches,

Denis Johnson Denis Hale Johnson (July 1, 1949 – May 24, 2017) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, '' Jesus' Son'' (1992). His most successful novel, ''Tree of Smoke'' (2007) ...

, Rick Moody,

Michael Cunningham Michael Cunningham (born November 6, 1952) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his 1998 novel '' The Hours'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999. Cunningham is a senior lectur ...

Jonathan Ames Jonathan Ames (; born March 23, 1964) is an American author who has written a number of novels and comic memoirs, and is the creator of two television series, ''Bored to Death'' (HBO) and ''Blunt Talk'' (STARZ). In the late '90s and early 2000s, ...

, Sam Lipsyte,

Joe Andoe Joe Andoe (born 1955) is an American artist, painter, and author. His works have been featured in exhibits internationally and also numerous museums including the Denver Art Museum, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston ...

, David Berman,

Jonathan Baumbach Jonathan Baumbach (July 5, 1933 – March 28, 2019) was an American author, academic and film critic. Life and career Baumbach was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the son of Ida Helen (Zackheim), a teacher, and Harold M. Baumbach, a painte ...

Joshua Beckman Joshua Beckman is an American poet. Life Joshua Beckman was born in 1971 New Haven, Connecticut, and graduated from Hampshire College. He is the author of eight collections of poetry, including ''The Inside of an Apple'' (which was a finalist fo ...

Matthew Rohrer Matthew Rohrer (born 1970) is an American poet. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Rohrer was raised in Oklahoma. He earned a BA from the University of Michigan (where he won a Hopwood Award for poetry) and a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry f ...

Matthew Zapruder Matthew Zapruder (1967) is an American poet, editor, translator, and professor. His second poetry collection, ''The Pajamaist'', won the 2007 William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, and was chosen by ''Library Journal'' ...

Anselm Berrigan Anselm Berrigan (born 1972) is an American poet and teacher. Life and work Anselm Berrigan grew up in New York City, where he currently resides with his wife, poet Karen Weiser. From 2003 to 2007, he served as artistic director at the St. Mar ...

Jill Bialosky Jill Bialosky (Born Jill Robin Bialosky, April 13, 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American poet, novelist, essayist and executive book editor. She is the author of four volumes of poetry, three novels, and two recent memoirs. She co-edited with ...

Hakim Bey Peter Lamborn Wilson (October 20, 1945 – May 23, 2022) was an American anarchist author and poet, primarily known for his concept of Temporary Autonomous Zones, short-lived spaces which elude formal structures of control. During the 1970s, Wils ...

, Jason Brown,

Bliss Broyard Anatole Paul Broyard (July 16, 1920 – October 11, 1990) was an American writer, literary critic, and editor who wrote for ''The New York Times''. In addition to his many reviews and columns, he published short stories, essays, and two books dur ...

, Rachel Sherman, Charles Bukowski, Robert Olen Butler,

Emily Carter Emily Carter (born December 1960 in New York City) is an American writer. Her work has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''Story'', ''Gathering of the Tribes'', '' Between C & D'', ''Artforum'', ''Open City'', ''Great River Review'', and '' Poz ...

Alexander Chancellor Alexander Surtees Chancellor, CBE (4 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was a British journalist. Chancellor was educated at Eton College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was the editor of the conservative ''Spectator'' magazine from 1975 to ...

, Bryan Charles,

Alfred Chester Alfred Chester (September 7, 1928 – August 1, 1971) was an American writer known for his provocative, experimental work, including the novels ''Jamie Is My Heart's Desire'' and ''The Exquisite Corpse'' and the short story collection ''Behold Goli ...

Christopher Sorrentino Christopher Sorrentino (born May 20, 1963) is an American novelist and short story writer of Italian and Puerto Rican descent. He is the son of novelist Gilbert Sorrentino and Victoria Ortiz. His first published novel, ''Sound on Sound'' (1995), ...

, Delmore Schwartz,

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine ''Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote '' Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which combin ...

Adrian Dannatt ''Just William'' is a British television series based on the ''Just William'' series of books by Richmal Crompton. It aired for two series, between 1977 and 1978, on ITV. The series starred child actors Adrian Dannatt as William and Bonnie Lang ...

, Thomas Beller, Meghan Daum, Rick DeMarinis,

Rodney Jack Rodney Jack (born 18 September 1972) is a former professional footballer from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He is best known for his spells with Torquay United and Crewe Alexandra. He has also played internationally for Saint Vincent and the ...

Catherine Bowman Catherine Bowman (born in El Paso, Texas) is an American poet. Her most recent poetry collection is ''Can I Finish, Please?'' (Four Way Books, 2016), and her poems have appeared in literary journals and magazines including ''The Best American Poe ...

, Geoff Dyer,

Alicia Erian Alicia Erian (born 1967) is an American novelist. She was born to an Egyptian father and American mother of Polish descent. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Binghamton University and a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Vermont ...

, Edward Field, Nick Flynn, Ford Madox Ford, Bruce Jay Friedman,

Rivka Galchen Rivka Galchen (born April 19, 1976) is a Canadian-American writer. Her first novel, ''Atmospheric Disturbances'', was published in 2008 and was awarded the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. She is the author of five books and a cont ...

Deborah Garrison Deborah Garrison (born 12 February 1965) is an American poet. Life Garrison was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her father, Joel Gotlieb, died when she was about 15, and she and her two sisters were raised by their mother Naomi Weisberg Harrison, an ...

Mark Gonzales Mark Gonzales (born June 1, 1968), also known as "Gonz" and "The Gonz", is an American professional skateboarder and artist. He is known as the godfather of modern street skateboarding and was named the "Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time ...

, Dana Goodyear, Joyce Johnson, Hettie Jones, Daniil Kharms,

Wayne Koestenbaum Wayne Koestenbaum (born 1958) is an American artist, poet, and cultural critic. He received a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University and is a 1994 Whiting Award recipi ...

James Lasdun James Lasdun (born 1958) is an English novelist and poet. Life and career Lasdun was born in London, the son of Susan (Bendit) and British architect Sir Denys Lasdun. Lasdun has written four novels, including , a New York Times Notable Book, and ...

Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...

Viktor Pelevin Victor Olegovich Pelevin ( rus, Виктор Олегович Пелевин, p=ˈvʲiktər ɐˈlʲɛɡəvʲɪtɕ pʲɪˈlʲevʲɪn; born 22 November 1962) is a Russian fiction writer. His novels include ''Omon Ra'' (1992), ''The Life of Insects ...

Rebecca Wolff Rebecca Wolff (born 29 November 1967 New York City) is a poet, fiction writer, and the editor and creator of both '' Fence Magazine'' and Fence Books. Wolff has won the 2001 National Poetry Series Award and 2003 Barnard Women Poets Prize for her ...

, Kevin Young, and C.K. Williams. The magazine's discontinuation was announced in March 2011. It published 30 issues during its existence.

Published books

*'' Actual Air'' by David Berman (1999) *''Venus Drive'' by Sam Lipsyte (2000) *'' My Misspent Youth'' by Meghan Daum (2001) *'' World on Fire'' by

Michael Brownstein Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

(2002) *'' Some Hope'' by

Edward St Aubyn Edward St Aubyn (born 14 January 1960) is an English author and journalist. He is the author of ten novels, including notably the semi-autobiographical ''Patrick Melrose'' novels. In 2006, ''Mother's Milk'' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. ...

(2003) *''

Karoo The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hardveld") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ext ...

'' by

Steve Tesich Stojan Steve Tesich ( sr, Стојан Стив Тешић, Stojan Stiv Tešić; September 29, 1942 – July 1, 1996) was a Serbian-American screenwriter, playwright, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1979 for ...

(2004) *'' Goodbye, Goodness'' by Sam Brumbaugh (2005) *''

Mother's Milk Mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female to feed a young child. Mother's Milk may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Mother's Milk'' (album)'', an album by Red Hot Chili Peppers ** Mother's Milk Tou ...

'' by

(2006) *'' The First Hurt'' by Rachel Sherman (2006) *'' Love Without'' by Jerry Stahl (2007) *'' Long Live a Hunger to Feed Each Other'' by

Jerome Badanes Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...

(2007) *'' Why the Devil Chose New England for His Work'' by Jason Brown (2007) *'' Farewell Navigator'' by Leni Zumas (2008) *'' Living Room'' by Rachel Sherman (2009)

References

Open City
Accessed September 22, 2006.

Accessed December 29, 2008.

Accessed December 29, 2008.

External links

Open City Magazine & Books website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Open City (magazine) Book publishing companies based in New York City Defunct literary magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1991 Magazines disestablished in 2011 Magazines published in New York City Triannual magazines published in the United States 1991 establishments in New York City 2011 disestablishments in New York (state)

History and profile

Published books

See also

References

External links