The White Review revives that ancient and venerable tradition of print again: the literary journal – and it does so with style and chuzpe. A savvy and addictive mixture of intellectual rigour and modern pop culture, the Review effortlessly presents theoretical essays, short stories, art criticism, poetry and interviews side by side, all held together by a sharp sense for the contemporary and the relevant.
Their current and fourth issue has darker undertones of the economic crisis running throughout the content, aligning infectious poetry and fiction, essays on ruins, landscape art and concepts of the future in philosophy with fantastic interviews with political author and journalist Ahdaf Soueif and fashion photographer Juergen Teller – it’s a curious mixture and no mean feat indeed, but all executed with aplomb and pressing passion.
It is strikingly beautifully designed by Ray O’Meara, who adheres to the rules of traditional book design to a point where it almost turns radical – meanwhile subverting the tight grid by slipping in various inserts, a poster as cover and plenty of little details that infect the minimalist traditionalism with a tactility and sense of playfulness that is enviable.
At times, The White Review reminds me a little of McSweeneys’ The Believer, albeit without the pop factor, but generally on a more serious and European note. It’s a surprising and more than worthwhile publication, and one of the best magazines I’ve seen emerge in a while. Highly Recommended.
If you are in Berlin, then you can see for yourself at a presentation at Motto, once again, on April 20.
