From the time that our first issue was published more than thirty years ago, The New Criterion has been deeply committed to our readers. Since its inception, the magazine has constantly endeavored to be a bastion of, in the words of Matthew Arnold, the best that has been thought and said in the world.
During that time, we have relied on a generous readership that has been as committed to that mission as we have been. As the year draws to a close, The New Criterion is reaching out to our friends to help us continue this mission. Whether you read the magazine online or in print, whether you’re a regular donor or have never contributed before, whether you’ve been with us since our first issue or are just discovering TNC, we are asking for your support before the end of the year.
But we aren’t just asking for your money. We pledge to remain as committed to our readers as we have always been, and to do that we want to hear from each of you about how you would like us to use your gift. Would you like us to put it towards the Priority Fund, which will help support the day-to-day operations of the magazine—keeping the lights on, the presses printing, and our writers writing? Or would you rather support the Online Fund that will enable us to grow our website, our blog, and numerous other digital ventures that are planned but unfunded? There is also the Conference Fund that supports the symposia that have become an important part of The New Criterion’s identity. And just this year we launched the Hilton Kramer Fellowship in Criticism to support talented young writers who will become the future voices of TNC’s mission.
We still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $340,000 by the end of the year and we hope that you will be able to support the great intellectual experiment that is The New Criterion. No amount is too small, so please consider giving today.