Trace, No. 4 (June 1953)

Little Magazines and Tyranny by Lawrence Barth gives Trace no. 4 its clearest point of entry, while Towards Print by James Boyer May and Opinion widen the issue’s field. Dated June 1953, this compact number indexes 5 pieces or named sections, moving between literary argument, creative work, reviews, correspondence, and the practical business of little-magazine culture. The order matters: recurring editorial features sit beside contributions with their own formal and critical demands, so the magazine reads as an active conversation rather than a neutral container. The reader’s edition makes that sequence easy to follow; the original scan preserves the cover, page design, advertisements, visual material, and directory apparatus that locate the writing in its first publication. Together, the two editions show James Boyer May sustaining both a literary forum and a working map of the independent publishing network.