Brick Magazine

Brick Magazine Brick Magazine is a Canadian quarterly literary periodical founded in 1977 that publishes essays, memoir, criticism, and fiction. It is associated with universities, cultural institutions, and a network of writers across Canada and internationally, and has been cited in discussions involving University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, and cultural festivals such as the Toronto International Festival of Authors and the Calgary International Literary Festival. The journal has intersected with projects at the National Film Board of Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and archives such as the Library and Archives Canada.

History

Founded in 1977, the magazine emerged during a period marked by debates involving Pierre Trudeau, the Patriation of the Constitution, and regional cultural policies tied to institutions like Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts. Early issues featured contributors connected to programs at York University, Queen's University, and literary circles around Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax. Over decades the publication navigated funding landscapes shaped by federal decisions and provincial agencies, intersecting with events such as the October Crisis legacy in cultural discourse and the expansion of small-press networks including Coach House Press and McClelland & Stewart. Its editorial archive records correspondence with figures associated with the Harbourfront Centre and collaborations with theatre companies like Factory Theatre and Stratford Festival.

Editorial Profile and Content

The magazine's editorial profile balances personal essay, long-form criticism, and short fiction while engaging with cultural projects connected to institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, Vancouver Art Gallery, and literary series at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Regular sections have examined works from authors published by houses like House of Anansi Press, ECW Press, and Douglas & McIntyre, and have reviewed titles appearing at trade events such as the Toronto International Book Fair. Editorially it has hosted dialogues involving academics from University of Toronto and Simon Fraser University, critics with ties to The Globe and Mail and The Walrus, and cultural historians linked to the Canadian Museum of History. The magazine's tone often reflects influences from essayists associated with Susan Sontag, commentators shaped by Northrop Frye's legacy, and reviewers in conversation with critics from The New Yorker and London Review of Books.

Contributors and Notable Works

Contributors have included writers connected to established families of Canadian letters, with pieces by authors affiliated with Margaret Atwood, alumni of Ryerson University and Concordia University, and essayists whose work intersects with themes explored by Leonard Cohen and E. J. Pratt. The magazine has published memoir and criticism by figures linked to the Giller Prize shortlist and prize juries, contributors who later taught at McMaster University and Dalhousie University, and writers whose essays were excerpted in anthologies from Penguin Random House and Irwin Publishing. Notable long-form essays and serialized pieces have engaged with biographies of subjects like Tom Thomson, discussions around the work of Emily Carr, and cultural histories touching on the Group of Seven. The magazine has additionally commissioned visual artists connected to galleries such as National Gallery of Canada and collaborates with translators associated with Pen International.

Publication and Distribution

Published quarterly in print with a digital presence, the magazine distributes through independent bookshops in cities including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax, and through partnerships with university bookstores at University of Toronto Books and libraries within the Toronto Reference Library system. Subscriptions and single-copy sales operate alongside placements in festival bookshops at events like the Edmonton International Fringe Festival and the Vancouver Writers Fest. The publication has worked with printers and distributors who serve small press ecosystems similar to those used by Anvil Press and Invisible Publishing, and engages with archival repositories such as McMaster University Library for back-issue collections.

Reception and Influence

Critical reception situates the magazine within Canada's small-press ecosystem alongside titles like Fiddlehead, Grain, and PRISM International. Academic citations reference its essays in journals from faculties at University of Alberta and University of Victoria, and cultural commentators in outlets such as Toronto Star and National Post have reviewed its issues. The magazine's influence extends to workshop curricula at writer-residencies like Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and mentorship programs tied to the Writers' Trust of Canada. Its archival presence appears in special collections that document late 20th- and early 21st-century Canadian literary networks, with scholars drawing on its pages for studies linked to the Canadian Literature journal and dissertations at University of British Columbia.

Category:Literary magazines published in Canada