Little magazines we like: subTerrain

[Another in an occasional series of little Canadian magazines we like and that are worth trying out.] This time, subTerrain, based in Vancouver. It's a magazine-sized literary publication that comes out 3 times a year (a 4-monthly?) and each issue is themed (the next, spring 2007, is Bad Jobs; previous issues were Money and Obsessions). It has a hard edge to it and publishes short fiction up to 3,000 words, non-fiction and commentary up to 4,000 words plus the occasional art portfolio and a good deal of photography, plus book reviews. It publishes poetry but no longer accepts it unsolicited (a trend among many over-burdened literary magazines and a sign that there is either a lot of poetry out there or a lot of bad poetry.)

It manages to print some colour, but mostly black and white inside. Its tagline is Strong words for a polite nation, which pretty much sets the tone. It could best be described as "unafraid" and as a result has some interesting surprises. A casual reader could be lulled by its rather restrained and careful design, but will be smacked back to reality by the illustrations, which are a highlight, some in colour, many b&w and the essays. Issue 45 also has a nice essay on marbles (the playing of). The magazine (or journal, as it calls itself), seems like a miscellany, but with a guiding philosophy.

Editor Brian Kaufman is well known in the Vancouver arts scene as a playwright, editor and publisher. Anvil Press was established in 1988 specifically to publish subTerrain and since 1998 has sponsored the 3-day Novel Writing Contest, which it acquired from Pulp Press. Anvil describes its mandate as

"The discovery, nurturing, and promotion of new and established Canadian literary talent."

Which pretty much sums up what subTerrain seems to do, too. A sub is $25 for 6 issues, ($20 in a 'special offer' in the most recent issue); a single copy is $5.95. You can buy it at many better newsstands or through Magazines Canada's online sub service.