The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-11
LITERARY OUTLOOK.
New Comparative Literature Publica-
tion--Death of Brandur Magazine.

Intenig ence comes to me at the moment
of writing this letter of a new magazine,
the first number of which is 20 appear on
Ihe nrSt Of January. 1t IS quarterly
Journal of Comparative Literary studies
III America and Europe. 1t will be based
primarily upon the deDorfnentss of COM
paratiye literature at Columbia and Har-
ward. Prof G. z. Woodberry end DR.. j.
F. Spingarn of the former institution and
brot- j. b Fletcher Of the latter, cOlleb-
Grating in IT'S editorial management. a
very Impressive array of foreign profess
gors have promised their active support.
The list Of universities represented by
them includes those of Zurich Berlin.
Paris. Innsbruck, Padua, Copenhagen,
Turin Florence. EdinborO Naples ard
Heidti berg Truly a cosmopolitan gather
ing Justifying the claims On the part OF
the editors that it is the most cosmopoi-
1tan journal ever planned" Among those
foreign collaborators in the enterprise ap-
pears the reme of J. J. Jusscrand the
who comes from Copenhagen to replace
Monsieur Cambon. Jusserand is the lead
ing French authority on English litera-
ture His best known work in this conn
try IS one used in all colleges, on
the English novel.
There seems to be some doubt as to
means and it has come in for its share Of
newspaper ridicGle the suppOSitiOn that
ors. as for example Winston Churchill and
Mary Johnston for the purpose of determ-
ming their relative literary merits. Com
ParatlVe literature. however, as it is to be
dealt with in the Journal. deals with races
rather than with individuals taking the
broadcast possible view of literature as Il
comparison of peoples and seeking to find
in all the literatUres of Europe the varied
but essentially common voice OF a single
race and a single civilization. The value
OF such civilization is to broaden our
sense of literary brotherhood SO that IN
ana a sense of personal possession not OK
ly in Shakespeare. but in Cervantes, Ari-
osto a@a Moiere.
But this is not the only magazine item
n mo I7nv fca1f n
a certain short-lived publication called
The BrandUr' magazine. a weekly, de-
voted to stories and short articles The
name of its proprietor. Orlando J. Smith,
the president of the American Press assc-
citation. created confidence in the success
OF the venture among newspaper ana mag
azine people generally, While the promise
OF three cents word for ell contributions.
a rate which was advertised as being the
largest paid by any magazine in the
world, must have created . kindly feeling
in Grub Street. In spite. however. of oil
not survive its third number and now
makes one more of that company of null
utudinous magazines; some clever and
some mediocre, that have come and gone
in the last few years
The underlying principle in modern life
leading to such an over-pOpulation of the
magazine world is hard to determine. The
promoters of these ephemeral publications
seem to be actuated about equally by mo-
tlveS OF money making and virtuous zeal
Tor literary reform. Each magazine prom
iAes IN a vague way to be more literary
ana 70 print better articles than its pred
ecessors; This note of literary superiority
IS especially strong in the announcement
OF the new magazine entitled The Read
er edited by Mr.. Copeland, formerly of
copeland & Day. publishers. and Mr.. Ke-
nealN, formerly connected with the house
OF John Lane in this city. The Reader
announces authoritatively that it is the
literary ma ga zine for which a America h :
so long waited. The Atlantic Monthly will
please take notice, and il there any
place more remote from the literary cen
ter of this country than that city which
used formerly to be called the Athens of
America and the Hub of the Universe, it
mad best retire to it in time.
But these are pretty schemes and ru-
mors with which I have been dealing.
mere IS on the horizon heavy cloud and
distant ruublinE is borne in on my ears.
Inc word Trust hated Shibboleth of mod
I ern commercial ism. has more than once
! been mentioned in connection with books.
4 nut not till now has it entered into the
realm Of magazinedom- Now, however !