What some people may not know about the minnesota review is that it isn’t located in Minnesota. In fact, it hasn’t been there for about forty years. The journal was founded in 1960 and was located in Minnesota for about 10 years before moving to New York City. It was here that it developed its leftist identity. It didn’t stay long in New York before leaving for Indiana University (for almost ten years), then Oregon State University, then SUNY-Stony Brook (back in New York), then to East Carolina University, then the University of Missouri (we’re almost there now), then to Carnegie Mellon University, and finally now in its new home, nestled in the New River Valley within the little town of Blacksburg, and located within Virginia Tech.
Like any long-lived publication, the minnesota review has changed over time. It began with a focus on avant-garde and experimental fiction. Its critical orientation was shaped by the rise of Marxist literary criticism. It’s probably no coincidence that it developed this particular political affiliation as it moved from Minnesota to the Big Apple. The journal has continued to evolve in tandem with the leading currents of the critical humanities, and has intervened in fields such cultural studies, feminism, academic labor, animal studies, world literatures, political philosophy, and so on. Most issues feature interviews with leading intellectuals. We remain committed to both critical and creative writing. The move to Virginia Tech has brought on board the talents of a highly rated MFA program, whose students and faculty oversee the selection of contemporary poetry and short fiction for inclusion in the review. We still believe that criticism and creativity go hand in hand.
No matter how it got here, we’re glad to welcome the minnesota review from the state of Minnesota (and New York, and Oregon, and so on) and into the Commonwealth of Virginia. Hopefully the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and the New River can tame your wanderlust.
The Minnesota Review 