About

We, (Wayne and Bryan), two young Literature students from Chicago, were driving through Montreal at 5:00 A.M., as young people do.  We were getting hungry and discussing a mutual sense of frustration.  Although we thoroughly enjoyed reading, studying, discussing and analyzing Literature, we were missing something.  Of course Literature was seriously important to us.  But in addition to studying and appreciating literature, maybe we should be attempting to further the art; add to its great history.  How could we combine our love for reading with our love for sharing and promoting what we liked?  

“Impossible,” said Bryan.

“Not only is it impossible, but it can’t be done!” said Wayne.  

“And something else that’s bothering me,” Bryan continued, “is that I’m hungry.”  

“So am I, where should we eat?”

“Well, I love doughnuts and coffee, but I love sandwiches equally.  Can I have both?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, we will never find a way to combine those things.”  

“What about that place.  We have seen so many here in Canada, but haven’t been in yet.”

“Tim Horton’s? It’s worth a try.”

We went inside, and to our surprise and joy, we found a combo meal that consisted of a sandwich, a doughnut, and a cup of coffee.  

While enjoying our foreign meal, one of us turned to the other and said, “You know, that Tim Horton was really on to something, and his idea doesn’t have to stop at breakfast/lunch foods.”  We realized that, like Tim Horton, we could take our study-related loves, and  our desire to add to the current culture, and combine them in one handy single priced package.

“A literature quarterly could be our proverbial sandwich, coffee, and doughnut!”

Thus the idea was born, but we still needed a name.  We were familiar with the term “Panglossian,” derived from Dr. Pangloss, Candide’s foolishly optimistic teacher.  Who better to inspire a literature quarterly started by two recent college graduates? Panglossia, we assumed, meant one who was derived from, relating to, or belonging to foolish optimism. It really should mean that, shouldn’t it?  Well, it doesn’t.  It is actually a disease: a term for one who is tiresomely talkative to an abnormal or excessive degree.

To us it will always mean both things.

All of this happened over a year ago.  Eventually Panglossia will have a first issue, and sometime after that… a second.  We take the term “Quarterly” very loosely, but.  We take the term “Literature” very seriously and are dedicated to our idea.