Building a Virtual Community: Confession Magazines in French Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article considers confessional magazines as “virtual communities.” Published from 1943 to 1957, Histoires vraies was a low-brow magazine that replicated True Story's success in French Canada. Like Bernarr Macfadden's True Story, Histoires vraies was entirely or mostly composed of short sentimental stories generated by its readers. Overall, our article sheds light on how, in 1950s Quebec, a virtual community was created to help readers cope with profound social change, offering both a space of liberty and empowerment and an institution of social control.