The Dial was an American magazine published intermittently from 1840 to 1929. In its first form, from 1840 to 1844, it served as the chief publication of the Transcendentalists. From the 1880s to 1919 it was revived as a political review and literary criticism magazine. From 1920 to 1929 it was an influential outlet for modernist literature in English. In January 2023, the name of The Dial was revived for a new online magazine of international writing and reporting.
Transcendentalist journal
Members of the Hedge Club began talks for creating a vehicle for their essays and reviews in philosophy and religion in October 1839.Gura, Philip F. American Transcendentalism: A History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007: 128. Other influential journals, including the North American Review and the Christian Examiner refused to accept their work for publication.Slater, Abby. In Search of Margaret Fuller. New York: Delacorte Press, 1978: 51. Orestes Brownson proposed utilizing his recently established periodical Boston Quarterly Review but members of the club decided a new publication was a better solution.Von Mehren, Joan. Minerva and the Muse: A Life of Margaret Fuller. Amherst, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press, 1994: 120. Frederick Henry Hedge, Theodore Parker, and Ralph Waldo Emerson were originally considered for the editor role. On October 20, 1839, Margaret Fuller officially accepted the editorship, though she was unable to begin work on the publication until the first week of 1840. George Ripley served as the managing editor.Slater, Abby. In Search of Margaret Fuller. New York: Delacorte Press, 1978: 61–62. Its first issue was published in July 1840 with an introduction by Emerson calling it a "Journal in a new spirit".Gura, Philip F. American Transcendentalism: A History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007: 129. In this first form, the magazine remained in publication until 1844. Emerson wrote to Fuller on August 4, 1840, of his ambitions for the magazine:
The title of the journal, which was suggested by Amos Bronson Alcott, intended to evoke a sundial. The connotations of the image were expanded upon by Emerson in concluding his editorial introduction to the journal's first issue:
The Dial was heavily criticized, even by Transcendentalists. Ripley said, "They had expected hoofs and horns while it proved as gentle as any sucking dove".Golemba, Henry L. George Ripley. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1977: 59. The journal was never financially stable. In 1843, Elizabeth Peabody, acting as business manager, noted that the journal's income was not covering the cost of printing and that subscriptions totaled just over two hundred.Gura, Philip F. American Transcendentalism: A History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2007: 130. Nevertheless, Peabody published in the journal herself. In 1844 a chapter of the Lotus Sūtra translated by her from French to English was published in The Dial; this chapter was the first English version of any Buddhist scripture.
The journal ceased publication in April 1844. Horace Greeley, in the May 25 issue of the New-York Weekly Tribune, reported it as an end to the "most original and thoughtful periodical ever published in this country".
Editorship of Margaret Fuller Margaret Fuller (1810-1850) was the first editor for The Dial an American 19th-century writer, editor and an advocate for women. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fuller received an exceptional education from her father, Timothy Fuller who was a lawyer. Fuller’s education would later allow her to become a highly intellectual woman and contribute her major writing Woman in the Nineteenth Century and minor writings such as "Recollection of Mystical Experience." Fuller’s career is a blend of Transcendentalist philosophy and early feminism. Combining her rigorous educational training and her exposure to Transcendentalism, Fuller was able to convey her thoughts and ideals to the world through her contributions at The Dial and The New York Tribune. Fuller was an important figure among the Transcendentalists in the 19th century and her most significant role was her involvement in The Dial. The Dial is a literary and philosophical journal that served as an outlet for Transcendentalists to convey their thoughts and ideas.
Founded in 1840 by major Transcendentalist figures, Emerson and Ripley, they asked Fuller to join and she became the first full-time editor from 1840 to 1842. During this time, The Dial is noted as Fuller’s most significant professional role as she worked alongside with Emerson . During her time at The Dial, Fuller was known for including other transcendentalist's writings as a space to voice their thoughts and reactions through their own transcendentalism stages. She focused on individual thought, the self, and gender roles in society. Fuller was responsible for overseeing and approving the content published in the journal. She also included her own work, which focused on individual thought, the self, and gender roles in society. While there were some unexpected issues, Fuller’s contributions helped establish the platform for discussions of philosophy, literature, and social issues which convey the ideals found in Transcendentalism. While Fuller was inclusive of other’s writings most were hesitant to have their work published, which led to the magazine to struggle financially and low reader participation. Thus, she contributed her own writings which addressed topics such as education, culture and the role of women. During her time at The Dial she wrote and published “The Great Lawsuit: Man versus Men, Woman versus Women” in 1843. Two years later Fuller republished and expanded the essay into a book named Woman in the Nineteenth Century. In her book, Fuller delves deeper into the role of a woman and the rights that she possesses. She also discusses the limitations placed on obtaining an education, job security, and even personal advancement aside from men. Fuller also explored the idea that men and women are both capable of intellectual and spiritual abilities and that society should reflect this perspective.
Fuller’s most intellectual work becomes significant, when understood through her role at The Dial, where she helped cultivate and distribute Transcendentalist thought. During her time in Boston, Fuller hosted “Conversations” which brought women together to discuss philosophy and social issues, which further emphasized the mission of The Dial. Both outlets created a space for women to participate in intellectual thought and revealed Fuller’s goal of including women in educational forums and discussions, instead of remaining passive observers. While the “Conversations” were unable to reach every woman, The Dial served as a platform for expanding women’s voices and educational resources in a limited space.
Women in the Nineteenth Century, first appeared in The Dial in 1845 and served as a gateway to her ideas about gender equality. In her book Fuller emphasized specific Transcendentalism principles such as individualism and self-realization, which were also promoted in The Dial, while also encouraging ideas of social reform. While some readers considered her work to be dense and hard to read, the publication within The Dial allowed it to reach an audience familiar with progressive thought, amplifying its impact on the broader community. Even as Fuller later transitioned to journalism at The New York Tribune, gaining national recognition, the foundation and audience she acquired at The Dial remained central to her intellectual influence.
Fuller’s later writings, which included her spiritual writings and reports from Europe can also be traced back to her time and intellectual upbringing cultivated by The Dial. Her essay “Recollection of Mystical Experience,” emphasizes her personal account of spirituality and connection to nature, which reflects the same Transcendentalist ideals she helped promote as an editor. After her time at The Dial, Fuller expanded on international reports based on political, social, and cultural issues that the journal encouraged its contributors to explore. Fuller’s work, whether focused on feminism or political reform and spirituality, demonstrates how The Dial served as a starting point and central theme to her published work. Her contribution to the journal not only shaped its identity but also established her legacy as a key figure in American Transcendentalism and reform movements of the 19th century.
Political review and literary criticism magazine After a one-year revival in 1860, the third incarnation of The Dial, this time as a journal of both politics and literary criticism, began publication in 1880. This version of the magazine was founded by Francis Fisher Browne in Chicago. Browne claimed it to be a legitimate offspring of Emerson and Fuller's Dial. Browne would serve as its editor for over three decades. He envisioned his new literary journal in the genteel tradition of its predecessor, containing book reviews, articles about current trends in the sciences and humanities, and politics, as well as long lists of current book titles. It was in this form that Margaret Anderson, soon to be founder of The Little Review, worked for the magazine. Although Chicago was a city reputedly indifferent to literary pursuits, The Dial attained national prominence, absorbing The Chap-Book in 1898.
Francis Browne died in 1913 after elevating the magazine by its unswerving standard in design and content. Control of the magazine shifted to his siblings, and under their control, the magazine lost prominence because they lacked the editing and managing abilities of Francis. In 1916, rather than continuing the failing magazine, the Browne family sold The Dial to Martyn Johnson, who "set the magazine on a liberal, even increasingly radical course in politics and the arts as well as in literature."Joost, Nicholas. Scofield Thayer and The Dial: An Illustrated History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University P, 1964: 4 Although The Dial was, at the time, a reputable magazine with a noted Midwestern influence, Johnson decided to move to New York in 1918 to distance the magazine from the Midwest and reconnect with the city because many of the magazine's new editors had connections there. Johnson's Dial soon encountered financial problems, but future editor Scofield Thayer, heir to a New England wool fortune, invested in the magazine.Joost, Nicholas. Scofield Thayer and The Dial: An Illustrated History. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University P, 1964: 6 During this time, Thayer met Randolph Bourne, a contributing editor to The Dial.Hoffman, Frederick, Charles Allen, and Carolyn Ulrich. The Little Magazine: A History and a Bibliography. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1946:198 Bourne's steadfast pacifism and aesthetic views of art inspired Thayer who reflected these philosophies in his life. After contributing to The Dial and sinking large sums of money into the company, Thayer hoped for some editorial control of the magazine. Johnson, however, would not yield any responsibilities, causing Thayer to leave the magazine in 1918. Thorstein Veblen and others interested in his thinking were important presences on The Dial staff and in its pages during its first few years in New York. Veblen's 1921 book, The Engineers and the Price System, is composed of essays published in The Dial in 1919.