Blueline began in the fall of 1979 as an outgrown of an extension course in English Composition that Alice Wolf Gilborn taught at North Country Community College. She and her group continued to edit and publish the journal at Blue Mountain Lake for nearly a decade.
In 1989, Alice arranged for the journal to move to SUNY Potsdam where it continue under the editorship of Anthony O. Tyler with an editorial board drawn from the English and Modern Languages departments. In 1999, Rick Henry assumed the role of editor.
The original goals-publsihing stories and poems about the Adirondacks or other regions similar in spirit-have been maintained. After serving on the editorial staff for several years, Donald McNutt began as editor of Blueline in 2009
During the years Blueline has been at Potsdam there have been minor alterations. In 1991, we bowed to the reality that we could only publish one issue a year. In 1987, the journal was first published in a perfect binding; prior to that, two shorter issues were published each year.
Our content has gradually broadened to include more work from outside the Adirondacks, although we have kept a coterie of excellent Adirondack writers. Our content includes poems, stories, and nonfiction essays focused on the natural world. We have a strong, national subscription base, but also support the magazine through grants, frequent donation campaigns, and support from SUNY Potsdam, which assures that our future will not be precarious.
