Main Lit. Crit./Theory Journals

[maxhgns]

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd pop in to consult with you all, since the internet isn't being as helpful as I'd like. I'm a grad in another field (philosophy), and I'm currently working on pushing out a paper that, while squarely philosophical, addresses some issues in literary criticism/theory. Long story short: The bulk of the paper is ready, but I want to ensure that it's à propos, and to my mind that means having a glance through some of the main criticism/theory journals to see what kind of work is being published these days. My paper aims to harvest some pretty low-hanging fruit, so I want to make sure the fruit hasn't already fallen off the tree.

So, there you have it. What are the main journals that publish literary criticism and theory? I'm familiar with Philosophy and Literature, but I have a nagging suspicion that it's not a main (or even mainstream) one for you guys.

[echo449]

You're right--philosophy and literature is not mainstream. In fact, it's well-known for its conservatism and anti-theory bias. The major journals in our field for theoretical work--and they may not accept unsolicited work--are: New Literary History, boundary2, Public Culture, Representations, differences, Critical Inquiry, October, and Social Text (tho that last one has not really recovered from the damage done by the Sokal Hoax in the 90s). There are others, such as Mediations and Critique, that are less well-known/more niche. 

Edited October 15, 2016 by echo449

[maxhgns]

Thanks!

I'm actually not looking to submit to them, since my paper is squarely philosophical. Just to page through a few issues to get a sense of where things lie these days.