Not only did the magazine feature the novel, it also published an author-review as well as numerous favorable reviews by noted writers, including William Carlos Williams. Despite the growing popularity of "Contempo" in the literary community, relations between its two editors deteriorated rapidly, resulting in the end of their collaboration in the fall of 1932. Though the exact cause of the break between the two men is undocumented, "the correspondence files give some evidence that friction resulted when Abernethy's wife, Minna, became editor in October 1932. Buttitta is last listed as editor in the 21 November 1932 issue, although Abernethy's editorial note clearly shows that the split between them had already occurred: "Mr. Buttitta's name appears among the editors in order to credit him for work done on this special issue of "Contempo". Page two of the 10 January 1933 issue baldly states: "The last five issues of "Contempo" (since July) have been financed and published by the editors listed above [Milton and Minna Abernethy] without the aid of one of the former editors, Mr. A.J. Buttitta." After splitting with the Abernethys, Buttitta moved to Durham, North Carolina and, convinced that the rights to "Contempo" were his, began printing his own publication under that name. Abernethy hotly contested Buttitta's ownership of "Contempo", stating in the 10 January 1933 issue that "Any paper which Mr. Buttitta might publish, whether it bear the name "Contempo" or not, will in no way be connected with the original and authentic "Contempo", will not have access to the editorial materials sent to the original "Contempo" on the strength of the reputation it has built for itself in the past two years, nor will it reach the regular subscribers of "Contempo"". Buttitta published two of his own issues of "Contempo" from Durham before he lost the legal rights to Abernethy. The dispute, which was very public, resulted in the implosion of both Abernethy and Buttitta's versions of the magazine. By 1934, the Abernethy's were making their exodus from editing, leaving the sole issue of "Contempo" in the hands of guest editor Stuart Gilbert. Milton Avant Abernethy "Contempo" was edited by Milton “Ab” Abernethy, a "nonthreatening and generous Communist“. As a 19-year-old sophomore at NC State University, Abernethy published several contentious articles criticizing administrative policies.