“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.

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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.

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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

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