The Southern Review
The Southern Review is a quarterly American literary magazine founded at Louisiana State University in 1935.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Southern Review is a quarterly literary magazine associated with Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Established in 1935 at the initiative of university administrator Charles W. Pipkin, with Robert Penn Warren as a central founding editor, the journal was created during a period when LSU was investing in the development of a major intellectual and cultural institution. Its early financing was connected to Huey Long's investment in the university. The founding editorial group included Charles W. Pipkin as editor-in-chief, Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks as managing editors, and Albert Erskine as business manager. From its beginning, the magazine sought to combine literary distinction with a clearly shaped editorial identity. Its contents have included fiction, poetry, literary criticism, critical essays, excerpts from novels in progress, and reproductions of visual art. The first issue featured writers including Wallace Stevens, Randall Jarrell, Ford Madox Ford, Katherine Anne Porter, and Aldous Huxley, establishing a profile that placed established authors alongside important emerging voices. Robert Penn Warren described the publication's purpose in terms of giving writers a strong editorial setting and concentrating editorial authority sufficiently for the magazine to possess a recognizable character and standard. The journal's first period lasted through 1942, when publication was suspended after 28 issues, in the context of World War II. It was revived in 1965 by Lewis P. Simpson and Donald E. Stanford, who re-established it as an important venue for American writing and criticism. Later editorial leadership included James Olney, Fred Hobson, Dave Smith, Bret Lott, Jeanne M. Leiby, Cara Blue Adams, Emily Nemens, Sacha Idell, and Jessica Faust. The succession reflects the magazine's continuity as well as changes in the way contemporary fiction, poetry, criticism, and visual material are selected and presented. The Southern Review has received notable recognition within American literary culture. Morton D. Zabel praised its early competence, while John Crowe Ransom described its first five years as a major achievement in American letters. In 2006, it received first place for Best Journal Design in the Council of Editors of Learned Journals International Awards Competition. The publication remains identified with LSU and continues to operate as a literary journal rather than as a mass-market consumer magazine. Its principal offering is the recurring print and/or digital journal issue, supported by the editorial selection and presentation of literary and artistic work.
History
The name The Southern Review has been used by more than one literary periodical. An earlier publication with that title appeared in Charleston, South Carolina, from 1828 to 1832, and another was issued by Albert Taylor Bledsoe in Baltimore from 1867 to 1879. The subject of this dossier is the Louisiana State University magazine founded in 1935. The LSU-based Southern Review emerged from the university's ambitions to build a stronger intellectual and cultural presence. Charles W. Pipkin promoted the project, and the magazine was funded in connection with Huey Long's investment in LSU. Robert Penn Warren was a principal founding figure, working with Cleanth Brooks as a managing editor. The initial organization also included Pipkin as editor-in-chief and Albert Erskine as business manager. This structure combined university administration, literary editing, and practical publishing management. The first issue established the journal's broad editorial range and high literary ambitions. It included poetry and prose by Wallace Stevens, Randall Jarrell, Ford Madox Ford, Katherine Anne Porter, and Aldous Huxley. Rather than limiting itself to one genre or regional school, the magazine published fiction, poetry, critical essays, literary criticism, portions of novels in progress, and visual art. Its editorial philosophy emphasized the value of placing writers in a strong literary context while maintaining enough editorial control for the publication to have a coherent character. The first phase ended in 1942, when publication was interrupted after 28 issues. The suspension occurred during World War II. The magazine returned in 1965 under the co-editorship of Lewis P. Simpson and Donald E. Stanford, beginning a second period that restored its role in American literary publishing. Subsequent editorial changes occurred over several decades. James Olney joined Simpson in 1983; Fred Hobson joined Olney in 1987; and Dave Smith joined Olney in 1990. Bret Lott became editor in 2004, followed by Jeanne M. Leiby in 2008. The 2010s continued the use of co-editorship. Jessica Faust and Cara Blue Adams became co-editors in 2011, Emily Nemens joined Faust in 2013, and Sacha Idell joined Faust in 2018. The succession demonstrates the journal's ability to preserve its identity while changing its editorial personnel. The publication has been associated with both established authors and emerging writers, and its reputation has been reinforced by favorable commentary from literary critics and editors. In 1936, Morton D. Zabel singled it out for its competence; in 1941, John Crowe Ransom praised the achievement of its first five years. Beyond literary reputation, the magazine has also received recognition for presentation. In 2006 it won first place for Best Journal Design in the Council of Editors of Learned Journals International Awards Competition. The Southern Review remains a quarterly literary publication connected with LSU, offering a curated venue for creative writing, criticism, and visual material. Its historical importance rests on the combination of university sponsorship, influential editorial leadership, and a sustained commitment to a distinctive literary standard.
- 2018
Sacha Idell joins as co-editor
[1]Idell joins Jessica Faust in the magazine's editorial leadership.
- 2013
Emily Nemens joins the editorial team
[1]Nemens joins Jessica Faust as co-editor.
- 2011
Jessica Faust and Cara Blue Adams become co-editors
[1]The journal returns to a shared editorial leadership model.
- 2008
Jeanne M. Leiby becomes editor
[1]Leiby succeeds Bret Lott as editor.
- 2006
Best Journal Design award
[1]The Southern Review wins first place for Best Journal Design in the CELJ International Awards Competition.
- 2004
Bret Lott assumes editorship
[1]Lott takes over as editor of the journal.
- 1990
Dave Smith joins the editorial leadership
[1]Smith becomes part of the co-editorial structure alongside James Olney.
- 1987
Fred Hobson joins as co-editor
[1]Hobson joins James Olney in the magazine's editorial leadership.
- 1983
James Olney joins the editorial team
[1]Olney becomes co-editor with Lewis P. Simpson.
- 1965
The magazine is relaunched
[1]Lewis P. Simpson and Donald E. Stanford restart The Southern Review.
Products and positioning
An institutionally affiliated American literary journal positioned around editorial curation, literary quality, and a distinctive publication identity. It presents established and emerging writers in a quarterly format and combines creative writing with criticism and visual art.
Literary periodical · 1935
Quarterly issues
The core offering is a quarterly issue containing a curated selection of fiction, poetry, literary criticism, critical essays, excerpts from works in progress, and reproductions of visual art. The issue format allows the editors to combine different genres and modes of literary work within a single publication while maintaining a recognizable editorial identity.
Brand decisions
1965
Relaunch the magazineStrategyBackground
The publication had been inactive since its 1942 suspension.
Action taken
Lewis P. Simpson and Donald E. Stanford revived The Southern Review.
Aftermath
The relaunch began the magazine's continuing second era.
1942
Suspend publication during wartimeStrategyBackground
After 28 issues, the magazine's first publishing period ended during World War II.
Action taken
The Southern Review suspended publication.
Aftermath
The journal eventually returned in 1965 under new editorial leadership.
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/the-southern-review · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled