Contrary Magazine is a quarterly literary journal that publishes commentary, fiction and poetry, and that specializes in work "that combines the virtues of those categories." Founded at the
University of Chicago as the
Journal of Unpopular Discontent,
Contrary began operating independently on the South Side of
Chicago in 2003. It features new voices beside established writers, and has published such writers as
Ben Maddow,
Sherman Alexie,
Literary Review founder Walter Cummins, the columnist
Heywood Broun, the novelist Thomas E. Kennedy, poets Derek Pollard, Robert Lietz, and Taylor Graham, and the first literary fiction of the mystery writer
Andrew Coburn (author).