Open and Shut case

New York-based Open City magazine, one of the best little reads in the business, known for publishing “a dynamic array of poetry and prose with a daring, youthful, spirit,” is closing after 20 years. Luckily for all writers, though, its press release of earlier today reports that “Open City Books, a mere tyke at ten years, continues.” The release recalls:

Starting with its first issue in 1991, Open City has made an important mark on the American literary scene, publishing a slew of debut writers [and] undiscovered posthumous gems, and hosting wildly successful readings and parties in New York City and beyond. Not just a publisher, Open City, true to its name, is a vibrant community of writers, artists, and readers.

Highlights from twenty years of the magazine will be collected in an anthology, They’re At It Again: An Open City Reader (June 2011, Open City Books). Featured authors include Richard Yates (an excerpt of a novel he was working on at the time of his death), Irvine Welsh (his story in Open City in 1993 marked his U.S. debut), Mary Gaitskill, Martha McPhee, Robert Stone, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Ames, and Sam Lipsyte.

The final, 30th edition of Open City was published in December 2010 and is still available online. It’s 10 bucks well spent, and there’s no postage cost to U.S. customers who order it sent media mail class.