For my online literary magazine review assignment, I decided
to look at Action Yes Online Quarterly and the Baltimore Review. I have to
say overall I am way more satisfied with the set-up of the Baltimore Review
compared to that of Action Yes Online, although both are set up with photos of
each issue’s artists with links to their works on the homepage, the way they
look is dramatically different. For example, the Baltimore Review gives the
viewer a more professional look, whereas the redness of Action Yes makes it
appear borderline cartoonish or something. The pictures of each writer on the
Baltimore Review also appear more flattering to the individual then to those of
the writer’s on Action Yes. However, there is also a major difference in the poetry
located on each site. A lot of what appears on Action Yes seemed to be structured
very creatively, but it appeared as if the writer’s didn’t always take the time
to proofread their works, or even put them into a more aesthetically pleasing
form. Although I do appreciate the “printer-friendly” option that Action Yes
has to offer. Overall I rather much enjoyed the Baltimore review. What I
enjoyed most about it was the writer profiles one was introduced to after
clicking on the writer’s picture. Not only does it show the specific piece of
work, but each profile also has a little bio for each writer, and some even had
previous works located just underneath.
Those writer’s using the Baltimore Review were also more prone to using
memo’s underneath their poem or piece of fiction, describing whatever details
they could. Also, because the authors of
the works found in the Baltimore Review took the time to proofread and form
their poems, I found them to be much more desirable, interesting, and easier to
read.