Britton, Coburn, Editor

Issue 3 of Prose [Literary Journal] [Several Notable First Printings]

New York: Prose Publishers, 1971-1972.

Wraps with title and author list on the front; 6 by 9 inches with the wraps slightly larger, which has caused minor shelf wear.  The bindings are tight and square. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. In general moderate shelf handling wear.

The authors published in Prose, can be described as avant-garde, experimental, and intellectually ambitious. The magazine showcased a diverse range of voices, often featuring works that pushed the boundaries of traditional storytelling and explored the intersections of modernism, postmodernism, and existential thought.

Many of the writers were deeply engaged with the cultural and political upheavals of the era, grappling with themes of alienation, identity, and societal change. The contributors were often underrepresented or emerging voices in the literary world, and Prose served as a platform for innovative works that blended fragmented narrative styles, surreal imagery, and deep philosophical inquiry.

These writers sought to challenge conventions and experiment with new forms of expression, making the publication an important reflection of the literary zeitgeist of the early 1970s.

Significant Works from Prose Magazine Issue #3 (1971–72) first published in this issue.

Prose issue #3 (1971, ed. Coburn Britton) featured an impressive roster of writers. Several works first appearing in this issue went on to achieve a wider literary or cultural impact – whether through republication, critical discussion, or marking a pivotal moment in an author’s career.

+++ Kay Boyle – 'Writers in Metaphysical Revolt'  (Essay, 1971)
In this piece, Boyle – herself a celebrated expatriate modernist – reflects on the 1920s avant-garde literary movement. The essay is significant as a late-career statement by Boyle about the ethos of modernist experimentation. It has been cited in later critical works for its firsthand insight into that era’s artistic rebellion and serves as an important document of literary history – Boyle’s articulation of the Lost Generation’s reaffirmed her role in that cultural revolution for contemporary readers.

+++ Howard Nemerov – 'Because You Asked about the Line Between Prose and Poetry'  (Poem, 1971) This witty, elegant poem, – ostensibly answering what divides prose from poetry – later became one of Nemerov’s most famous pieces. It has been widely republished and taught.

+++ Harold Rosenberg – Art Critique Later Collected in The De-definition of Art (1971). Rosenberg’s Prose essay reached a much broader audience. It contributed to key debates of the early 1970s around modern art. It was later included in his influential 1972 book The De-definition of Art. Rosenberg’s piece for Prose became part of an important critical text of the era, influencing how critics and historians discuss contemporary art and culture.

+++ Glenway Wescott – Late-Career Literary Memoir (1971) made a rare late-career appearance marked an important personal milestone – a brief reemergence of Wescott’s voice in print. It added a late chapter to Wescott’s legacy, even if its impact was more archival. (Indeed, Wescott’s “silence” and sporadic later output have been a subject of commentary in literary circles.

Prose magazine’s third issue showcased a mix of new writing by established authors, a few of which proved to have enduring significance. Kay Boyle’s modernist memoir-essay and Howard Nemerov’s poem both found new life in later criticism and anthologies, underlining their cultural impact. Harold Rosenberg’s essay bridged little-magazine and book culture, influencing art critical discourse of the 1970s.

Even contributions that didn’t reverberate widely (Wescott’s, Dahlberg’s, Tate’s, etc.) held importance as part of the authors’ trajectories and the era’s literary mosaic. Taken together, issue #3 can be seen as a capsule of the early-’70s literary scene – one that, in a few cases, introduced works that would resonate well beyond the boutique readership of Prose.

[Ref: Nat Endowment Humanities; U of Chicago; poets(.)org; Wiki; Yale; wnyc ]

Coburn Britton was a notable figure in 20th-century American publishing, recognized for his contributions as a poet and founder of Horizon Press in the 1960s.

In 1970, he launched Prose, a literary journal that showcased both emerging and established poets, reflecting his commitment to fostering literary talent. His professional relationship with author Kay Boyle is documented through their correspondence, highlighting his active engagement in the literary community.

As the publisher, Britton’s approach to editing was focused on curating a selection of poems that balanced creativity with depth. The magazine featured a broad range of poetry, from free verse to narrative works, all thoughtfully chosen for their literary merit. Britton’s editorial choices were driven by a desire to highlight poems that were both artistically engaging and thematically meaningful.

Britton was the owner of Horizon Press and this journal comes from the estate of Horizon Books publisher Ben Raeburn. [Ref Special Collections SIU.]

Item #20198

Price: $20.00