CANKARJEV GLASNIK (Cankar's Herald) was a Cleveland-based national literary monthly published in Slovenian, featuring fiction, essays, plays, and reviews. Most SLOVENES settling in the U.S. were literate and sought to continue their language here with newspapers and other publications. Although a few short-lived literary magazines had been attempted in Cleveland and elsewhere, Cankarjev Glasnik was published in Cleveland at a time when Slovenian-American cultural consciousness was at a peak. The nonprofit Cankarjeva Ustanova (Cankar Foundation) had been formed in 1936 to erect a memorial to Slovenian author Ivan Cankar in the Yugoslav Cultural Garden. A literary monthly was proposed that would espouse progressive principles and appeal to the common man and intellectuals alike; the first issue appeared in Aug. 1937, with one of Cankar's acquaintances, Etbin Kristan, as editor. In addition to subscriptions, funds were raised by events sponsored by the foundation and cultural groups in Cleveland, Detroit, and Pennsylvania. Cankarjev Glasnik showcased original fiction and plays by Slovenian-American writers such as Katka Zupancic, Anna Krasna, IVAN ZORMAN, and Louis Adamic. Some stories dealt with the immigrant experience, using Cleveland as a backdrop. War commentaries documented events in Europe, Asia, and especially Slovenia. It was believed to have been the only literary magazine in the Slovenian language in existence during part of World War II. The magazine had never been on firm financial ground, and in spite of its quality, circulation was 1,100 at most. Ivan Jontez served as editor after Kristan's retirement. The magazine ceased publication with the Feb. 1943 issue.
Finding aid for the Cankarjev Glasnik Records. WRHS.