{{Primary sources|date=June 2015}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox journal | title = New Letters | cover = 200px|Fall 2006 cover | editor = Robert Stewart | discipline = | peer-reviewed = | language = English | former_names = The University Review, The University of Kansas City Review | abbreviation = New Lett. | publisher = University of Missouri–Kansas City | country = United States | frequency = Quarterly | history = 1934-present | openaccess = | license = | impact = | impact-year = | website = http://www.newletters.org | link1 = | link1-name = | link2 = | link2-name = | JSTOR = | OCLC = 1759882 | LCCN = | CODEN = | ISSN = 0146-4930 | eISSN = | boxwidth = }}

'''''New Letters''''' is a non-profit literary magazine and one of the oldest quarterly publications in the United States. Published twice annually in two double issues, the magazine is based in Kansas City, Missouri.<ref>{{cite web|title=Literary Journals|url=http://www.missouribooks.org/Journals|work=Missouri Center for the Book|accessdate=December 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211080443/http://www.missouribooks.org/Journals|archive-date=December 11, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''New Letters'' publishes Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction in digital and print formats.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-01-23 |title=New Letters |url=https://www.pw.org/literary_magazines/new_letters |access-date=2026-03-09 |website=Poets & Writers |language=en}}</ref>

==History and editors== '''''The University Review''''' was founded in 1934 at the University of Kansas City, a small, private school that later became part of the University of Missouri system. In its first two years, the periodical published a discussion on "Art and Social Struggle," including contributions from Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera, a story by Vance Randolph, a poem by Edgar Lee Masters, and a personal note from Pearl S. Buck.<ref name=hist>[http://www.newletters.org/history.asp''New Letters'' history Web page], at the ''New Letters'' Web site, accessed February 5, 2007</ref>

Starting with the Spring 1938 issue, Alexander P. Cappon became editor and remained in that post for the next 33 years. In 1944 the magazine's name was changed to '''''The University of Kansas City Review'''''. In that time the magazine published work by May Sarton, J.D. Salinger, E.E. Cummings, Marianne Moore, May Swenson, James T. Farrell, Kenneth Rexroth.<ref name=hist/>

In 1971, poet David Ray took over as editor, and the magazine's name was changed to '''''New Letters'''''. Ray founded the radio program ''New Letters on the Air'', which aired on NPR stations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Ray Obituary (1932 - 2024) - Legacy Remembers |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/david-ray-obituary?id=56268105 |access-date=2026-03-09 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref> Ray published work by Robert Bly, Cyrus Colter, Anselm Hollo, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Hugo, Robert Peters and Josephine Jacobsen.<ref name=hist/>

In 1986, James McKinley became editor, and under his editorship the magazine published new work by Amiri Baraka, Thomas Berger, former President Jimmy Carter, Annie Dillard, Tess Gallagher, William Gass, Charles Simic, John Updike, and Miller Williams.<ref name=hist/>

Robert Stewart took over as editor-in-chief in September 2002, serving in that role for eighteen years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Martellaro |first=John |date=February 13, 2020 |title=Changing of the Guard at a Prized Literary Institution: Editor-in-Chief Robert Stewart is bringing 44-year career to an epilogue |url=https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2020/february/changing-of-the-guard-at-a-prized-literary-institution.html# |url-status=live |access-date=March 8, 2026 |website=UMKC Today}}</ref> He also took the helm of ''New Letters on the Air'' and the magazine's affiliate book imprint, BkMk Press. During his tenure, the magazine tripled its yearly circulation to 12,000, making it one of the top-read literary publications in the country. Stewart also oversaw an increase in the variety of material at the magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McTavish |first=Brian |date=2017-07-03 |title=Robert Stewart: Leading Man of Letters |url=https://kcstudio.org/robert-stewart-leading-man-letters/ |access-date=2026-03-08 |website=KC STUDIO |language=en-US}}</ref> During this period, the magazine published writers such as Brian Doyle, Quincy Troupe, Daniel Woodrell, Sherman Alexie, Sergio Troncoso, Marilyn Hacker, Maxine Kumin and Charlotte Holmes.<ref name=hist/>

Christie Hodgen became editor-in-chief in 2020. She planned to digitize the magazine's 86 years of back issues, making them available to the public.<ref name=":0" />

''New Letters'' won the National Magazine Award for the essay on May 1, 2008, at Lincoln Center in New York. The winning essay was "I Am Joe's Prostate," by Thomas E. Kennedy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News 3.20.08 |first=Staff {{!}} Daily |date=2008-05-02 |title=New Letters and VQR Win National Magazine Awards |url=https://www.pw.org/content/new_letters_and_vqr_win_national_magazine_awards |access-date=2026-03-08 |website=Poets & Writers |language=en}}</ref>

=== ''New Letters on the Air'' === In 1977, editor David Ray and his wife, Judy, began the audio literature program ''New Letters on the Air'', a half-hour radio program featuring writers reading from their work and talking about it.<ref name=hist/>

Rebekah Presson produced and hosted the show until 1996, when Angela Elam took over. The program was the longest continuously-running national literary radio series, having broadcast more than 1,200 episodes.<ref name=hist/> The show aired on 40 to 50 stations a week across the country and locally on KCUR 89.3. The broadcasts are stored in the Public Radio Satellite Systems Content Depot.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kniggendorf |first=Anne |date=2020-07-23 |title=With The End Of New Letters On The Air, Kansas City Loses A Claim To Literary Fame |url=https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-23/with-the-end-of-new-letters-on-the-air-kansas-city-loses-a-claim-to-literary-fame |access-date=2026-03-08 |website=KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR |language=en}}</ref> The show was also heard internationally and was available as a podcast. It was distributed by PRX.

Citing its budget crisis, the University of Missouri discontinued funding for ''New Letters on the Air'' and ''BkMk Press'' in 2020. It also incorporated ''New Letters'' into its English department.<ref name=":1" />

==New Letters Literary Awards== The New Letters Literary Awards program was begun in 1986.<ref name=hist/> It consists of prizes for poetry, essays and short stories:<ref>[http://www.newletters.org/default.asp Home page], ''New Letters'' Web site, accessed February 5, 2007</ref> * New Letters Poetry Prize &mdash; $1,500 for the best group of three to six poems * Dorothy Churchill Cappon Essay Prize &mdash; $1,500 for the best essay * Alexander Patterson Cappon Fiction Prize &mdash; $1,500 for the best short story

==See also== *List of literary magazines

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.newletters.org/ ''New Letters'' website] * [http://www.newletters.org/writers-wanted/ ''New Letters'' literary awards web page] * [http://www.newletters.org/On the air/ ''New Letters On the Air'' website] {{University of Missouri–Kansas City}} {{Authority control}} {{Coord|39|2|11|N|94|34|41|W|region:US-MO|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Letters}} Category:Poetry magazines published in the United States Category:Quarterly magazines published in the United States Category:Magazines established in 1934 Category:University of Missouri–Kansas City Category:Magazines published in Missouri Category:1934 establishments in Missouri Category:Quarterly journals