In his rich and varied career as writer, William Gilmore Simms expended no less energy on his magazine editing than on his poetry, novels, short stories, and essays. He brought to his magazine work the same vitality that distinguishes his literary work at its best. It is indisputable that he left his mark on the American literary scene in a way that few of his contemporaries did. From the age of nineteen until his death at sixty-four, he edited or helped edit a total of seven literary magazines and five newspapers to which he gave a literary cast. In the bulk of these his primary intention was to advance and encourage literature in his homeland. To "stimulate native productions," he wanted to give American authors a place to publish their works, provide a critical forum for discussion thereof, and, in general, help develop literary awareness, particularly as to...