Why are we doing this? Well, we spend a lot of time following the magazine industry and we know the way
we read magazines is evolving.
We don’t know exactly what the future for the magazine industry holds, but we do know one thing: it will include people who love reading magazines. And we don't think there's enough focus on this important fact. So each month we will post a Q&A with a magazine reader. Here we go:
Our first interviewee, Jerry, picked The New Yorker as his favorite magazine.
A little bit about The New Yorker magazine: First published in 1925, The New Yorker is famous for its award-winning reporting, fiction, poetry, political cartoons, commentary and reviews. The New Yorker focuses on the cultural life of New York City, but also reports on national and international affairs.
1. Tell us who you are, what you do and what you are passionate about.
Let’s see...I live in Fort Worth, Texas. I work a corporate job, write rock songs, design clothes, take neighborhood walks, drink Guinness, watch movies, and pal around with friends.
2. How long have you been reading magazines?
My relationship with magazines started tentatively. I would go to the grocery store with my mom as a kid and find myself bored and listless at the magazine racks. I’d skim heavy metal magazines and MAD but those titles didn’t really do it for me. I think it was the high school library that finally sucked me into the world of magazines. I’d pick up whatever they had – GQ, National Geographic, Time, um, Glamour – and my world instantly opened up. Those magazines contained a secret universe. I’d read stories about fashion, art, travel, music, and occasionally stumble on a picture of a naked woman. It was exciting stuff.
Now you have me reflecting on my history with magazines. Let's see: Tennis, GQ, and eventually - mid to late 90's - I obsessively read music magazines like Spin and Magnet. I was sort of interested in urban planning, architecture, design, environmental issues, etc so I had a subscription to Dwell that recently lapsed. (side note: My friends Jackson and Heather bought me a subscription to the now-defunct Domino magazine because they knew I was too embarrassed to buy it on my own although I always ended up skimming it at the magazine stand.) But really, I think the New Yorker is the coolest: movie criticism, music criticism, Malcolm Gladwell, fiction writing, and all the rest.
3. Why did you start reading The New Yorker?
I told a friend that my favorite magazine was The New Yorker and she said it sounded pretentious. Well, I’m here to defend the magazine as one of the last retreats for the general reader who likes good fiction, interesting essays, and compelling music and movie reviews. Plus, it’s always held a personal appeal for me because so many writers I have liked have been regular contributors to its pages over the decades. More than anything, I find the stories and essays to be consistently entertaining. Most recently, I enjoyed the profile on director (and fellow Texan) Wes Anderson in the magazine’s cartoon issue.
4. What are your magazine-reading rituals?
I keep things fairly simple. No favorite chair but I do prefer to have my feet propped up with a hot beverage within reach. Usually I start at the back of the magazine and work my way to the front. Sometimes I sit cross-legged on the floor against the couch. Either way, it’s a pretty blissful way to spend part of an afternoon.
