Five Years of "Fourth Genre"

In 1999, Michigan State University Press launched "Fourth Genre: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction", a journal devoted to publishing notable, innovative work in nonfiction. The title reflected our intention to give nonfiction its due as a literary genre - to give writers of the "Fourth Genre" a sh [...]
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In 1999, Michigan State University Press launched "Fourth Genre: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction", a journal devoted to publishing notable, innovative work in nonfiction. The title reflected our intention to give nonfiction its due as a literary genre - to give writers of the "Fourth Genre" a showcase for their work and to give our readers a place to find the liveliest and most creative works in the form. Given the genre's flexibility and expansiveness, journal editors Michael Steinberg and David Cooper have welcomed a variety of works - ranging from personal essays and memoirs to literary journalism and personal criticism. The essays are lyrical, self-interrogative, meditative, and reflective, as well as expository, analytical, exploratory, or whimsical. In short, "Fourth Genre" encourages a writer-to-reader conversation, one that explores the markers and boundaries of literary/creative nonfiction. Since its inaugural issue, contributors to "Fourth Genre" have earned many literary awards: 5 Notable Essays of the Year (Best American Essay); the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award; Notable Essay of the Year (Best American Travel Writing); and 4 Pushcart Prizes."Five Years of Fourth Genre" is a celebration of this significant literary journal. Culling a selection of some of the most creative of "Fourth Genre's" first five years - the Pushcart winners are here, as well as those essays that are unique, those that tell us something new, those that startle us, and those that touch our hearts - we present a representative sampling.