Le Culte du Moi was founded in the fall of 2002 by a group of GW students, mostly sophomores, who were dissatisfied with the lackluster literary scene on campus.  Many of the soon-to-be editors attended the same creative writing class.  Known for their haughtiness almost as much as they were known for their camaraderie and inseparability, the professor of this poetry class began referring to the group as “le culte du moi”—French for “the cult of me” or “the cult of ego.”  Much like the Russian Formalists or the Whigs before them, the followers of the culte happily adopted this phrase of playful derision, interpreting it as a great compliment and a worthy goal.  Personally inviting some of the best young writers on campus to submit to the new magazine, Le Culte offered to publish not just poetry but “longer stories or essays.”  The guidelines were simple: they would “accept almost anything” provided that it was good.  The inaugural issue eventually included fifteen pieces of poetry, twelve short stories, and an essay by a GW professor.

         
            In the more than four years that have elapsed since Le Culte’s first issue, many of our ideals and traditions have remained the same.  At least one fiction, poetry, and non-fiction work has been present in seven of our eight issues.  Every issue has included one or more pieces by a professor.  In fact, the magazine has published over twenty articles or poems by a dozen distinguished faculty members, including the chair of the English department. Early issues frequently ended with a calendar of upcoming cultural events both on and off campus, but recent printings have instead wrapped up with poems from celebrated authors whose works are in the public domain.  Le Culte’s pages have also frequently welcomed the writing of graduate students, in addition to twice including interviews with notable professional writers.  The Fall 2003 issue featured Taylor Asen’s interview with Edith Grossman, award-winning translator of Spanish language poets and prose writers such as Cervantes, Maria Vargas Llosa, Alvaro Mutis, Augusto Monterroso, Mayra Montero, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  In Spring 2004, editor Brian Becker interviewed Jordan Sonnenblick, a middle school teacher and the critically acclaimed author of children’s books.

        
            Besides venturing to circulate the best writing that GW has to offer,  Le Culte du Moi has also organized and hosted numerous readings to go along with our mission of “facilitating the cultural and social growth of all those who become involved.”  These poetry readings often also coincide with the release party for the magazine.   Generally held once a semester, these events are well attended by contributors, editors, and loyal readers.  In fall 2006, we held our first ever marathon reading, and chose Nabokov's classic, Lolita.  At Le Culte du Moi, in the past two years, we’ve doubled our circulation and amassed a listserv of more than 300 interested individuals from within the GW community.  In the future, at Le Culte du Moi, we hope to maintain a magazine with high selectivity, quality, and distinction—in print and online—while both continuing our established activities and finding new outlets for reaching the growing GW literary community.