First Published: Alive Magazine: Literature & Ideology No 42, September 1975
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Malcolm and Paul Saba
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Literature & Ideology and Alive magazine were both established in 1969. In the five years since that time both publications have served in the struggle against imperialism. From the beginning, Literature & Ideology grasped Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought as the guide to the world-wide struggle against imperialism. From the beginning, the honest sentiment of Alive magazine led to the inevitable grasping of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought as the guide to the world-wide struggle against imperialism.
Discussions between Alive magazine and Literature & Ideology, based on the practice of each, have led to the scientific conclusion that Alive and L&l should be consolidated in order to concentrate the struggle in the cultural superstructure against imperialism and all reaction. At this date the decision has been made to have the Alive Production Collective publish one monthly cultural publication named – Alive magazine: Literature & Ideology.
Literature & Ideology, from issue number 1 (Spring, 1969) to the most recent issue number 18, published the following statement: “Literature & Ideology is sponsored by the Necessity for Change Institute of Ideological Studies, Dublin and Montreal, as part of the world-wide struggle against imperialism. The Institute wishes to encourage progressive individuals to participate consciously in the discussion and analysis of the political and social role of literature, art and criticism. L&l welcomes articles from its readers and invites them to organize Study Groups in their areas. This publication does not intend to provide opportunities for exercising self-interest or self-cultivation.”
The Alive Production Collective sees no inconsistency in incorporating this statement directly into the Collective’s View of Canadian Literature and Culture (see page 40 of issue 41). Further, the Production Collective points out that in the December 9, 1974 issue of People’s Canada Daily News, which: “represents the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)”, there was a PCDN editorial entitled: “Long life to Alive magazine – an anti-imperialist fighter on the cultural front.” Some excerpts are reproduced below:
Alive magazine squarely singles out U.S imperialism and Soviet social-imperialism as the main enemy of the nations and peoples of the world.... We hold that as far as PCDN is concerned, it is the political line which matters and Alive magazine has over the years taken a consistently anti-imperialist stand, especially since the fall of 1971, furthermore, Alive is taking an attitude of struggle and is committed to move even those writers who are erroneously espousing a line of “literature for its own sake.” By fighting with them and encouraging them to move forward, Alive magazine is making a contribution on this front also.... Alive is not a United front magazine, but a magazine committed to one line – that is, the line of opposing imperialism, social-imperialism and all reaction... PCDN considers Alive magazine to be progressive and calls on all anti-imperialist writers to adopt this magazine as their own and use it as a weapon against our enemies on the cultural front. We hail the revolutionary spirit of the Alive Production Collective for persisting in producing this magazine which is the only magazine on the literary and cultural front besides Literature & Ideology which has taken up the cause of the Canadian people and the world’s peoples against the two superpowers and against internal reactionaries...
The world view of Alive magazine and Literature & Ideology has proven to be unified and harmonious. The unity of practice established concretely at this, the very beginning of the first year of the last quarter of the glorious Twentieth Century should definitely be hailed as a concentration of the struggle against the main enemy.
NOTE: Subscribers to Literature & Ideology will have their subscriptions fulfilled in the following manner: one issue of Literature & Ideology will be replaced by three consecutive issues of Alive magazine: Literature & Ideology.