Marxists Internet Archive: History Archive: USA: Publications: Masses & Mainstream.
(1947-1963)
Introduction
Masses & Mainstream began in 1947 under the title Mainstream as a literary quarterly unofficially associated with the Communist Party, USA. The following year, after New Masses, a weekly magazine also associated with the CPUSA, shut down, a new monthly magazine - Masses & Mainstream - was created as a successor to the two previous journals. In 1956 Masses & Mainstream changed its name to simply Mainstream.
In addtion to the issues of Masses & Mainstream, we include here the four issues of Mainstream. A Literary Quarterly from 1947 and the later issues of Mainstream from 1956-1963.
1947: Mainstream. A Literary Quarterly
Volume 1, Number 1, Winter 1947
Volume 1, Number 2, Spring 1947
Volume 1, Number 3, Summer 1947
Volume 1, Number 4, Fall 1947
1948: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 1, Number 1, March 1948
Volume 1, Number 2, April 1948
Volume 1, Number 3, May 1948
Volume 1, Number 4, June 1948
Volume 1, Number 5, July 1948
Volume 1, Number 6, August 1948
Volume 1, Number 7, September 1948
Volume 1, Number 8, October 1948
Volume 1, Number 9, November 1948
Volume 1, Number 10, December 1948
1949: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 2, Number 1, January 1949
Volume 2, Number 2, February 1949
Volume 2, Number 3, March 1949
Volume 2, Number 4, April 1949
Volume 2, Number 5, May 1949
Volume 2, Number 6, June 1949
Volume 2, Number 7, July 1949
Volume 2, Number 8, August 1949
Volume 2, Number 9, September 1949
Volume 2, Number 10, October 1949
Volume 2, Number 11, November 1949
Volume 2, Number 12, December 1949
1950: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 3, Number 1, January 1950
Volume 3, Number 2, February 1950
Volume 3, Number 3, March 1950
Volume 3, Number 4, April 1950
Volume 3, Number 5, May 1950
Volume 3, Number 6, June 1950
Volume 3, Number 7, July 1950
Volume 3, Number 8, August 1950
Volume 3, Number 9, September 1950
Volume 3, Number 10, October 1950
Volume 3, Number 11, November 1950
Volume 3, Number 12, December 1950
1951: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 4, Number 1, January 1951
Volume 4, Number 2, February 1951
Volume 4, Number 3, March 1951
Volume 4, Number 4, April 1951
Volume 4, Number 5, May 1951
Volume 4, Number 6, June 1951
Volume 4, Number 7, July 1951
Volume 4, Number 8, August 1951
Volume 4, Number 9, September 1951
Volume 4, Number 10, October 1951
Volume 4, Number 11, November 1951
Volume 4, Number 12, December 1951
1952: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 5, Number 1, January 1952
Volume 5, Number 2, February 1952
Volume 5, Number 3, March 1952
Volume 5, Number 4, April 1952
Volume 5, Number 5, May 1952
Volume 5, Number 6, June 1952
Volume 5, Number 7, July 1952
Volume 5, Number 8, August 1952
Volume 5, Number 9, September 1952
Volume 5, Number 10, October 1952
Volume 5, Number 11, November 1952
Volume 5, Number 12, December 1952
1953: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 6, Number 1, January 1953
Volume 6, Number 2, February 1953
Volume 6, Number 3, March 1953
Volume 6, Number 4, April 1953
Volume 6, Number 5, May 1953
Volume 6, Number 6, June 1953
Volume 6, Number 7, July 1953
Volume 6, Number 8, August 1953
Volume 6, Number 9, September 1953
Volume 6, Number 10, October 1953
Volume 6, Number 11, November 1953
Volume 6, Number 12, December 1953
1954: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 7, Number 10, October 1954
1955: Masses & Mainstream
Volume 8, Number 1, January 1955
Volume 8, Number 2, February 1955
Volume 8, Number 3, March 1955
Volume 8, Number 4, April 1955
Volume 8, Number 5, May 1955
Volume 8, Number 6, June 1955
Volume 8, Number 7, July 1955
Volume 8, Number 8, August 1955
Volume 8, Number 9, September 1955
Volume 8, Number 10, October 1955
Volume 8, Number 11, November 1955
Volume 8, Number 12, December 1955
1956: First, Masses & Mainstream, then (starting in September), Mainstream
Volume 9, Number 1, January 1956
Volume 9, Number 2, March 1956
Volume 9, Number 3, April 1956
Volume 9, Number 4, May 1956
Volume 9, Number 5, June 1956
Volume 9, Number 6, July 1956
Volume 9, Number 7, August 1956
Volume 9, Number 8, September 1956
Volume 9, Number 9, October 1956
Volume 9, Number 10, November 1956
Volume 9, Number 11, December 1956
1957: Mainstream
Volume 10, Number 1, January 1957
Volume 10, Number 2, February 1957
Volume 10, Number 3, March 1957
Volume 10, Number 4, April 1957
Volume 10, Number 5, May 1957
Volume 10, Number 6, June 1957
Volume 10, Number 7, July 1957
Volume 10, Number 8, August 1957
Volume 10, Number 9, September 1957
Volume 10, Number 10, October 1957
Volume 10, Number 11, November 1957
1958: Mainstream
Volume 11, Number 1, January 1958
Volume 11, Number 2, February 1958
Volume 11, Number 3, March 1958
Volume 11, Number 4, April 1958
Volume 11, Number 5, May 1958
Volume 11, Number 6, June 1958
Volume 11, Number 7, July 1958
Volume 11, Number 8, August 1958
Volume 11, Number 9, September 1958
Volume 11, Number 10, October 1958
Volume 11, Number 11, November 1958
Volume 11, Number 12, December 1958
1959: Mainstream
Volume 12, Number 1, January 1959
Volume 12, Number 2, February 1959
Volume 12, Number 3, March 1959
Volume 12, Number 4, April 1959
Volume 12, Number 5, May 1959
Volume 12, Number 6, June 1959
Volume 12, Number 7, July 1959
Volume 12, Number 8, August 1959
Volume 12, Number 9, September 1959
Volume 12, Number 10, October 1959
Volume 12, Number 11, November 1959
Volume 12, Number 12, December 1959
1960: Mainstream
Volume 13, Number 1, January 1960
Volume 13, Number 2, February 1960
Volume 13, Number 3, March 1960
Volume 13, Number 4, April 1960
Volume 13, Number 5, May 1960
Volume 13, Number 6, June 1960
Volume 13, Number 7, July 1960
Volume 13, Number 8, August 1960
Volume 13, Number 9, September 1960
Volume 13, Number 10, October 1960
Volume 13, Number 11, November 1960
Volume 13, Number 12, December 1960
1961: Mainstream
Volume 14, Number 1, January 1961
Volume 14, Number 2, February 1961
Volume 14, Number 3, March 1961
Volume 14, Number 4, April 1961
Volume 14, Number 5, May 1961
Volume 14, Number 6, June 1961
Volume 14, Number 7, July 1961
Volume 14, Number 8, August 1961
Volume 14, Number 9, September 1961
Volume 14, Number 10, October 1961
Volume 14, Number 11, November 1961
Volume 14, Number 12, December 1961
1962: Mainstream
Volume 15, Number 2, February 1962
Volume 15, Number 4, April 1962
1963: Mainstream
Volume 16, Number 1, January 1963
Volume 16, Number 6, June 1963
Last updated on 14 August 2025