Unique French mag is printed here
By ROSE MARIE LEE
L'Esprit Createur, literally translated, means "the creative spirit" or "the creative mind." But what is it?
For one thing, L'Esprit Createur is the only American quarterly publishing exclusively criticism of French literature.
For another thing, it's edited by a French professor at KU.
JOHN ERICKSON, professor of French, said he began the journal in 1961 while a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. "I was conscious of the fact that no American quarterly was published that dealt exclusively
with criticism of French literature.
JOHN ERICKSON
In my opinion, American critics contribute something unique to French studies, so my wife and I decided to begin publishing a review for a primarily Anglo-Saxon audience. Two things were in our favor: my wife was art publications editor at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and knew something about the problems of publications; and I knew something about French literature. We set out in an adventurous spirit and were determined to make it a success," he said.
He said in the beginning the magazine was supported largely from their own funds. Five-hundred free introductory copies of the journal were sent to people in the field.
The mazine is bi-lingual. Erickson said one printer in St. Paul called it the "Onnery critter" because he found the French type so difficult to set.
THE MAGAZINE follows its founders. When Erickson went to the University of Iowa two years ago, L'Esprit was published in Iowa. Erickson came to KU in 1964 and now it's published here. KU, unlike the University of Minnesota or the University of Iowa, supports the magazine in part.
Erickson said "the journal is published to present critical study of subjects that are timely, and represent, in so far as it is possible, an original contribution to the criticism of French literature.
"For example, L'Esprit Createur was one of the first journals to inspire a reconsideration of the work and novels of Andre Gide which threw significant light on his work 10 years after his death. Articles dealth with several aspects of Gide that had previously been neglected," he said.
"The background of our contributors is varied." Erickson said. Articles from graduate students as well as renowned scholars have been accepted.
HE SAID ARTICLES have been submitted from the United States, France, Canada, England, Israel, and Australia.
Each issue of L'Esprit Createur presents the critical analysis of the literary production of one author or movement. "We felt that by choosing a particular subject, we could present a perspective that was both broad and deep.
Often we have articles in the same issue which contradict or express a different view in conjunction with the significance or definition of the subject being studied," Erickson said.
Stendhal, Blaise Pascal, New Direction in the French Theatre, Rabelais, The Author as Critic, The Naturalist Novel, Realism in the Literature of the Twelfth Century, Surrealist Literature, and Moliere are some of the subjects treated in the journal since its inception in 1961.
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THE MAGAZINE is small in format, and aesthetic in appearance. Erickson said its current subscription list is about 1,000. "The thing about small publications is that they are notorious for greater readership than their subscription lists-at least one-fourth of our subscribers are libraries," he said.
L'Espirit is sent to subscribers in 15 countries. "These are mostly in Europe, but we do have a few in the Far East, the Middle East, and Africa. We don't have any South American subscribers." Erickson said.
Some single issues, or complete volumes of back issues are available, Erickson said. The subscription price is $3 a year, or $1, for a single back issue.
Daily Kansan Monday December 5,1966
Monday, December 5.1966
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