I've been meaning to throw in my two cents worth, and this is as good a
time as any. Given that there are many left and Marxist print journals
which already do exist and given the likelihood that individuals on OPE and
off may be inclined to send their best work to those existing journals
where they have a good sense of the readership, I wonder whether it
wouldn't be more appropriate to try to identify a particular niche for an
electronic journal.
I'd like to suggest that we think about a journal of review--- one in
which the central focus is to review and comment upon published texts. This
is an area to which existing journals do not pay sufficient attention
(certainly the one I'm directly involved in --studies in political
economy-- has dispensed entirely with them) but which is, I think, a real
deficiency. (Many books get far too little attention from the journals).
The idea occurred to me in the context of Brenner's NLR monograph. Here
was an obvious opportunity for reviews and exchanges in relation to a
particular published work. (Quite a few OPE members, in fact, were
scheduled to participate in a symposium for Historical Materialism---
although it is interesting in this context that none of us yielded to the
temptation to comment on Brenner on OPE when comments and questions were
posed here, perhaps saving them for a print journal.) I think there are
many cases where an on-line review journal could make a real contribution.
Also, reviews would seem to be suited well to the medium in that searches
and enquiries about the book could bring up the reviews and ensuing
discussions-- with the result that there would be much greater exposure
than a standard monograph journal.
in solidarity,
mike
Michael A. Lebowitz
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Office: Phone (604) 291-4669
Fax (604) 291-5944
Home: Phone (604) 872-0494
Fax (604) 872-0485
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