Adam’s list of literary journals (no doubt already out of date) is testament to the astounding range of names people come up with for their journals–everything from the sober and literal to the smart and arty to the cute and cloying to the downright outrageous. Adding “Review” or “Quarterly” or “Literary” or any combination of these, despite the variety of more esoteric options, seems, in the parlance of Twitter, to be trending.
Naming one’s journal is a strange and intimate process, I’m sure. The journal I’ve been most intimately involved with has a very polarizing name: Monkeybicycle. Some, including me, think it memorable–others find it asinine. Todd Zuniga will go on forever about how the name of his journal, Opium Magazine, has caused all kinds of hardship with regard to applying for 50c3 status.
What are your favorite literary journal names? And if you’ve named one, how did you come to the name? If it’s “safe”, do you ever wish you’d chosen something more colorful. If it’s strange, do you ever wish you’d settled for something that your mother can mention in polite company? Has your journal’s name opened or closed any doors for you, or have you heard of this happening?