The Magazine I Want to Read

Saturday 22 September 2012

I just went to the newsagent to buy Anthony a copy of The Smith Journal.  This is sort of kind of the male version of Frankie, the magazine superstar that bucked the trend by establishing its very own niche in the current uber-difficult publishing landscape by simply being what none of the others are - itself.  Indeed, in its writer's guidelines Frankie says that if you can imagine your piece somewhere else, it's maybe not for Frankie.

I like Frankie, but I'm most certainly at the old hag end of its demographic.  In fact, I'm about six years over it.  But what it does is inspire me because it's sweet and quirky and itself, and its founders went for it and succeeded.  And it inspires me because it's Frankieness is such an individual feel compared to other mags, and so when I flick through the magazine stand at the newsagents every once in a blue moon and never find the magazine that I want to read, seeing Frankie sitting there gets me to thinking that maybe there's other people not finding the magazine they want to read either and that maybe there's a market for a wide diversity of reading instead of the tonnage of same ole dreary women's mags.

The kind of magazine I want to read has a bit of whimsy mixed in with a bit of intellectual stuff.  I guess it's sort of kind of geared towards women, or if not, it readily encourages the feminine - as long as it's not boring trite bullshit about beautifying your exterior.  I envisage a regular spot devoted to exploring a particular philosophical idea.  I envisage a short story each edition, along with some badass creative nonfiction and investigative journalism.  I envisage a regular section devoted to big historical events of the past that may or may not have trickled down to affect us in the present. I envisage the occasional whimsical rambling, a la McSweeney's, which are sadly lacking in magazines.  I envisage lots of creativity and lots of art.

It's a little broad, granted.  But it could possibly work.  For the people out there like me who can't find the magazine on the shelves that they want to buy.

I can't see that magazine on the shelves anywhere.  Maybe I need to invent it :)

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Anyways, this is not getting my essay written.  What is it about procrastination that makes everything that is not your essay urgent and delightful to involve yourself in right this minute?  :)

6 comments

  1. Sounds like you should start a magazine...I noticed that Frankie magazine has a recipe (or link to a recipe) for homemade nutella. I stopped reading after that.

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  2. It's a very long time since I bought a magazine, Sue, but if you were editing it - and made it what you propose here - I'd very likely give it a try. I'd probably write something for it, too, if the editor agreed:)

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  3. Haha, is homemade Nutella a dangerous substance for you, Emma? :)

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  4. Haha :) You can be the regular isness contributor :)

    I don't buy magazines very often either. In some respects they are a dying breed. BUT ... having said that, I know that if there was something I really roolly ROOLLY wanted to read, that I looked forward to every month, I would definitely shell out some hard earned for it.

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  5. Sue, I meant to add this earlier, sorry for the delay. There are two blogs whose names I think would make fabulous titles for online magazines. One is DISCOMBOBULA and the other is PILGRIM'S MOON, the names so priceless they sell themselves (BTW, did you see, Tess planning to start up again at the end of September !!)

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  6. Ooh, yay, Tess is back! I have missed her!!

    I agree, I think both those names would be good for a magazine. I love the name Pilgrims Moon, and the header Tess has would look fantastic in a mag.

    I think I might have to start writing some pieces I would like to see in that magazine.

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