Brick, A Literary Journal
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''Brick, A Literary Journal'' is a biannual literary magazine established in 1977. It publishes literary and creative non-fiction.


History

''Brick'' was established in 1977 in
London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
, as a book review section in the literary magazine ''Applegarth's Folly'', itself a product of the publishing house Applegarth Follies. Stan Dragland edited the first issue. ''Brick'' soon detached from its parent magazine (which ceased to exist by the second issue of ''Brick'') and Dragland began sharing editorial duties with Jean McKay. The two also operated their own publishing house, Nairn, which became Brick/Nairn in 1979, and eventually Brick Books in 1981. ''Brick'' was taken over by
Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically a ...
and Linda Spalding in 1985. Though still formatted like a magazine, it began to transform from a book review into a much more general literary magazine, eventually focusing on literary and creative non-fiction with an emphasis on personal essays. In 1991, Coach House Press published ''The Brick Reader'', a three hundred page volume edited by Ondaatje and Spalding. It features the best of ''Brick'' writing, from 1977-1991, including works by
Don DeLillo Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as consumerism, nuclear war, the complexities of language, art, televi ...
,
Kazuo Ishiguro is a Japanese-born English novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. He is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary fiction authors writing in English, having been awarded several major literary prizes, including the 2 ...
, and
Alice Munro Alice Ann Munro ( ; ; 10 July 1931 – 13 May 2024) was a Canadian short story writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Her work tends to move forward and backward in time, with integrated short story cycles. Munro's ...
. In Fall 2000, ''Brick'' underwent a major shift in design, undertaken by Gord Roberston.Michael Redhill, ''Brick'' No. 87, p. 9 Previous issues of ''Brick'' were around the size and shape of a conventional magazine (and about sixty pages in length). The redesigned magazine (beginning with ''Brick'' 65/66) was square and altogether newly formatted, featuring a new title logo designed by Toronto artist David Bolduc (who actually designed five new title logos for the magazine; ''Brick'' cycles through them in an irregular fashion) and expanded to one hundred and seventy pages. Later issues sometimes were as large as two hundred pages. Of the redesign, Cecily Möos, wrote:
I have been invited by the publisher of this now-stout organ to speak on behalf of the entire staff in welcoming you to this, the beginning of a new era for the magazine. The changes you find within and without are a result of a lengthy congress held in the magazine's headquarters concerning its future. (These deliberations were of a nature too technical to be intelligible to our readership, but those who wish to know more may send away for the minutes, collected in a sister publication entitled ''More Readers, More Money: How?'') Suffice it to say the magazine you now hold in your hands is the fruit of these soul-searching talks. It is larger. It is easier on the eye. It has cartoons. Lest our readers in Moncton fear this is a sign of renewed Fenian raids, let me reassure them that it is simply a result of ''Brick'' now being dispensed to American readers on their own soil.
In Spring 2011, ''Brick'' underwent another redesign undertaken by Mark Byk, albeit a more minor one than before. The magazine's colour palette changed quite drastically; whereas old ''Brickss were fairly dark, issue 87 and onward have been white. Additionally, the magazine's typography has been completely altered. In 2013, House of Anansi Press published ''The New Brick Reader'', edited by Tara Quinn. Like its predecessor, ''The New Brick Reader'' collects some of the best work to appear in ''Brick'', including works by Mavis Gallant,
Dionne Brand Dionne Brand (born 7 January 1953) is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto's third Poet Laureate from September 2009 to November 2012 and first Black Poet Laureate. She was admitted to the Order of Canada in ...
, and
Jeffrey Eugenides Jeffrey Kent Eugenides (born March 8, 1960) is an American author. He has written numerous short stories and essays, as well as three novels: '' The Virgin Suicides'' (1993), ''Middlesex'' (2002), and '' The Marriage Plot'' (2011). ''The Virgin Su ...
.


See also

*
List of literary magazines Below is a list of literary magazines and journals: periodicals devoted to book reviews, creative nonfiction, essays, poems, short fiction, and similar literary endeavors. *Because the majority are from the United States, the country of origin ...


References


External links

* {{Official website, http://www.brickmag.com/ 1977 establishments in Ontario Biannual magazines published in the United States English-language magazines Literary magazines published in Canada Magazines established in 1977 Magazines published in Toronto