BLATT
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BLATT is an English-language literary magazine and publishing imprint formed in 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic. Dubbed "Bohemia's New Journal of Lit, Art, and Ideas," the magazine's use of the term "Bohemia" reflected the double irony of its location in the capital of the geographical region Bohemia - Prague - while harkening back to the glory days of past urban artistic Bohemias.
The magazine was co-founded by publisher Miro Peraica, of the independent bookstore Anagram, editors Joshua Cohen (writer) and Travis Jeppesen, and graphic designer Mario Dzurila. The first issue of the magazine appeared as a limited edition in early 2006 and was rapidly sold out. The second issue was released in late 2006 and features work by Tsipi Keller, Peter Sotos, and Tod Thilleman, among others.
In May 2006, Jeppesen curated the first BLATT Fest, a five day long festival that coincided with the Prague Book Fair. 1
That same month, BLATT Books released their first publication, a collaboration between Jeppesen and painter Jeremiah Palecek, Poems I Wrote While Watching TV.
BLATT was named Magazine of the Year in 2006 by 3:AM Magazine. 2
In early 2007, it was announced that Joshua Cohen would be leaving BLATT to pursue other activities. BLATT also unveiled plans for its "Novel of Novels Contest," and the second publication of BLATT Books, a collection by Slovenian poet Ales Mustar.
When asked about the mission of BLATT, Jeppesen stated: “We hope to be an engine for those interested in challenging dominant modes of perception, be it in the realm of letters or in visual mediums, or some cross-over between the two. We’re interested in artists, writers, thinkers, madmen, skeptics, and skydivers who are creating their own languages, carving out their own systematic approaches to the world that have nothing to do with anything else going on today. We want to be a forum for the voiceless, those who, by dint of artificial barriers such as language or purity of vision, don’t fit in with any current trends or cultural definitions. We’re into challenging preconceived notions of good and evil. We’re young, angry, horny, and persistent. We’re fighting a war against the mediocrity that surrounds us. We’re here to fuck shit up.” 3
The magazine is currently published twice a year, with its third issue due out in May 2007.
