The Commonline Journal is an electronic literary journal of accessible poetry and discourse. Between 2007 and 2017 the journal published thirty-seven quarterly issues and a series of auxiliary installments. Journal entries are primarily composed of exuberant and unsparing reflections on the self and the world. Named for its concept, The Commonline Journal features stark narrative free-verse poetry that is dramatic and resonant for the digital landscape.
The journal was originally developed as the curriculum of an interdisciplinary learning contract in the Culture, Text & Language program at The Evergreen State College. The study examined digital realism and networked authorship through the lens of emerging online platforms. It analyzed how hypertextual architecture—specifically systems for open access, submission and curation—collapse the distance between creator, editor and audience.
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The architectural priorities of the platform pressed the short-form as an essential response to the mechanics of web-based composition, online reading and social media. This focus found its creative counterpart in the dirty realism of authors emerging through Web 2.0 networks. These writers used the journal's pages to document a meta-narrative of the digital self through brutal, unvarnished critiques of personal and social conditions.
As this creative practice merged with the technical inquiry of the project, it evolved from a terminal college study into a decade-long literary pillar. During its ten years in publication, The Commonline Journal featured a range of voices, from underground legends and prestigious award winners to the unknown writer. Since inception, The Commonline Journal was fueled by writing from a team of Literary and Contributing Editors, in addition to thousands of manuscripts submitted by the public at large.
The following archives contain the near complete collection of issues and installments, available for public review and exploration.
ISSUES ARCHIVE
