New online-only literary journal — only the under-40 crowd need apply

Dragnet magazine is a new
quarterly online literary journal that bills itself as “young, beautiful
and flexible” — it’s offered in four formats and contributors are all
under 40. The mag is available as a web page, e-book, flip
book or mobile edition, in addition to daily content updates on their blog.

In a press release, Dragnet co-editor Jeremy Hanson-Finger describes the reason for their approach:

“The literary journals you find in Chapters/Indigo don’t actually push boundaries, even on the inside. They conform to standards that might as well have been codified in Margaret Atwood’s 1972 Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature; it seems like every single story has to do with family relationships at the cottage, and takes itself way too seriously.

“Comedy is just as important as tragedy, and Dragnet can’t remember the last time it laughed reading an established Canadian literary magazine.”

Hanson-Finger notes that Dragnet is “distinct” from other literary journals for several reasons:

“It’s young” — All writers are under 40, most under 30. (The editors, Andrew Battershill of
Vancouver and Hanson-Finger of Toronto, are 22 and 23.)

“It’s beautiful” — The mag combines pen-and-ink art with multimedia.

“It’s flexible” — Three formats, four issues a year and daily blog updates.

“It pushes boundaries” — The mag describes its “playful yet transgressive approach.”