Tryout

Tryout was an American amateur press journal issued in Haverhill, Massachusetts, by Charles W. Smith from 1914 through 1946. It operated within the culture of the amateur press movement and was connected with the National Amateur Press Association, a network through which writers and editors produced, exchanged, and circulated privately printed periodicals. The publication combined literary and general-interest material rather than functioning as a conventional commercial magazine. Its contents included essays, nonfiction articles, poetry, correspondence, and fiction contributed by amateur writers and literary associates. The journal is particularly significant in the history of H. P. Lovecraft. Smith was a friend and correspondent of Lovecraft, and Tryout provided an early platform for several of Lovecraft's stories. It first published “The Cats of Ulthar” in November 1920, followed by “The Terrible Old Man” in July 1921, “The Tree” in October 1921, and “In the Vault” in November 1925. Tryout also printed numerous Lovecraft poems and nonfiction pieces. Smith contributed the plot idea for “In the Vault,” illustrating the reciprocal creative relationship that could develop within amateur-press circles. The association between Tryout and Lovecraft extended beyond publication. Lovecraft visited Smith in Haverhill, and details from those visits later appeared in Lovecraft's fiction. A notable example is “The Shadow Out of Time,” whose protagonist is associated with Golden Hill, the Haverhill neighborhood where Smith lived, and is named Nathaniel Peaslee, a name Lovecraft had observed on a gravestone in nearby Pentucket Cemetery. These connections have made Tryout an important source for Lovecraft scholars and for historians studying regional literary networks in early twentieth-century New England. Tryout was also remembered for frequent typographical errors. Lovecraft reportedly referred to such mistakes as “tryoutisms,” turning the journal's name into a private term for its characteristic printing errors. Although the publication ceased in 1946 and did not become a mass-market periodical, its long run and surviving literary associations give it continuing importance in the study of amateur journalism, small-press publishing, and the development of Lovecraft's early readership.

Tryout emerged in 1914 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, as part of the American amateur press tradition. Its publisher and editor, Charles W. Smith, participated in a culture in which individuals produced small-circulation journals and exchanged them through organized associations. The publication was connected with the National Amateur Press Association, linking it to a broader network of amateur editors and contributors rather than to a conventional commercial publishing house. During its run, Tryout carried a mixture of literary and general-interest content, including nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and other contributions typical of amateur journalism. Its significance increased through its relationship with H. P. Lovecraft, who corresponded with Smith and contributed multiple works. Tryout served as the first publication venue for Lovecraft's stories “The Cats of Ulthar,” “The Terrible Old Man,” “The Tree,” and “In the Vault,” appearing between 1920 and 1925. The journal also published a substantial amount of Lovecraft's poetry and nonfiction. Smith and Lovecraft's relationship was not limited to editorial exchange. Smith supplied the plot concept for “In the Vault,” and Lovecraft's visits to Haverhill helped furnish names, places, and other details later incorporated into his fiction. In “The Shadow Out of Time,” Golden Hill reflects Smith's Haverhill neighborhood, while the name Nathaniel Peaslee was taken from a gravestone Lovecraft had noticed in nearby Pentucket Cemetery. These links make Tryout a useful document for tracing the movement of ideas between amateur publishing, personal correspondence, and Lovecraft's fiction. The journal acquired a minor distinctive reputation for typographical mistakes. Lovecraft used the term “tryoutisms” for these errors, providing an informal label that connected the publication's name with its printing style. Tryout continued publication until 1946. It did not become a mainstream periodical, but its long presence in amateur journalism and its role in circulating Lovecraft's early work have preserved its importance in literary and publishing history.

• 1946

  Publication ends

  [1]Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org

  Tryout ceased publication after a run of approximately thirty-two years.

• 1925

  Publication of “In the Vault”

  [1]Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org

  The November 1925 issue carried “In the Vault,” a story for which Charles W. Smith had provided the plot idea.

• 1921

  Further Lovecraft fiction published

  [1]Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org

  Tryout published “The Terrible Old Man” in July and “The Tree” in October 1921.

• 1920

  First Tryout appearance of a Lovecraft short story

  [1]Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org

  The November 1920 issue published H. P. Lovecraft's “The Cats of Ulthar,” the first of several important Lovecraft stories to appear in the journal.

• 1914

  Tryout begins publication

  [1]Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org

  Charles W. Smith began publishing Tryout in Haverhill, Massachusetts, within the American amateur press movement.

A locally produced amateur press journal serving as a forum for literary, poetic, nonfiction, and correspondence material, with particular historical importance because of its publication of early H. P. Lovecraft works.

• Amateur periodical · 1914

  Tryout journal issues

  The core offering was a recurring amateur press journal edited and published by Charles W. Smith in Haverhill. Issues brought together literary submissions, poetry, nonfiction, correspondence, and other material circulated through amateur-press networks. The journal's importance today rests less on commercial distribution than on its role as a surviving record of early twentieth-century small-scale literary publishing.

• Literary content · 1920

  H. P. Lovecraft contributions

  Tryout published numerous works by H. P. Lovecraft, including poetry and nonfiction as well as four short stories: “The Cats of Ulthar,” “The Terrible Old Man,” “The Tree,” and “In the Vault.” These appearances made the journal an important early outlet for Lovecraft and a significant source for later scholarship on his literary development and amateur-press relationships.

1. 1Tryout (journal)en.wikipedia.org