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“Consistently wise, provocative, intelligent, serious, and just.
Can that be said of any other journal in America? I doubt it.”

— JAMES WOOD

The Point is a print and digital magazine of philosophical writing that embodies two distinct but complementary convictions: on the one hand, that humanistic thinking has relevance for contemporary life; on the other, that our lives are full of experiences worth thinking about. Most issues contain three core sections: ESSAYS that blend memoir, criticism and journalism to examine the ideas and beliefs that shape our world; a SYMPOSIUM that gathers contributions on a topic chosen by the editors (e.g. privacy, sports, film, marriage), and REVIEWS of pretty much anything at all.


The Point
adheres to no specific political or social agenda; instead, we ask our readers to participate in a dialogue between diverse intellectual traditions, personalities and points of view. The goal is a society where the examined life is not an abstract ideal but an everyday practice.


The magazine takes its name from Promontory Point, a rocky outcropping on Chicago’s South Side. The first issue was conceived by three University of Chicago graduate students in a basement pub in the fall of 2008. Today The Point is mailed to subscribers around the world three times a year and is distributed to bookstores and libraries across the United States and in select international locations. We accept submissions for the print magazine and website on a rolling basis.

What People Are Saying…

The Point is unique among the intellectual journals of our time in its genuine openness to a range of perspectives, and its commitment to pluralism reflects a conviction that thought cuts deepest when it is permitted to find its own path.”
MICHAEL CLUNE

The Point just keeps getting better. They give us a sense
of what’s possible—After the University.”

CHAD WELLMON, AUTHOR OF PERMANENT CRISIS: THE HUMANITIES IN A DISENCHANTED AGE

“Provocative and eclectic …
You are really missing something if you don’t know about this publication.”

RICK KOGAN, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“So long as publications like The Point have a stake in discourse, there is reason to hope in our public life.”
BREAKING GROUND

“The continued thriving of The Point magazine provides a hopeful hint of the possibility for renewal—a renewal based on each of us recognizing in others a potential brother or sister in truth.”
PLOUGH MAGAZINE

The Point is subtle and various, empathetic and argumentative.”
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

“It keeps you on your toes.”
ELIZABETH BRUENIG

Masthead

THE EDITORS
Jon Baskin
Anastasia Berg
Jesse McCarthy
John Palattella
Jonny Thakkar
Rachel Wiseman

MANAGING EDITOR
Rachel Wiseman

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Zachary Fine
Ben Jeffery
Joseph M. Keegin
Ursula Lindsey
Becca Rothfeld
Jessica Swoboda
Elaine Wang

FOUNDING EDITORS
Jon Baskin
Jonny Thakkar
Etay Zwick

BUSINESS MANAGER
Breck Furnas

ASSISTANT EDITORS
Julia Aizuss

LITERATURE EDITOR
John Michael Colón

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thomas Bartscherer
Jon Baskin
Cassidy Leventhal
Alex MacCallum
Doug Seibold
Jonny Thakkar
Etay Zwick

Contact Us

General Inquiries

EMAIL
info@thepointmag.com

PHONE
312-345-3224

ADDRESS
The Point Magazine
200 E. Randolph St., Suite #5100
Chicago, IL 60601

Customer Inquiries

EMAIL
custsvc_thepoint@fulcoinc.com

PHONE (toll-free)
+1 888-329-0904

ADDRESS
The Point
PO Box 3000
Denville, 07834

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