Lidster on periodicalsI am a product of the golden age of magazines, and I rue what has become of a formerly noble adjunct to book reading. I scan the mag section at supermarkets and am not piqued by the offerings. My first wife used to justifiably chastise me for spending what seemed like the GDP of an emirate on my weekly and monthly intake of journals of all kinds. My current wife needs have no such fiscal fears. There is nothing to buy.
Journalist Ian Lidster, publisher of Or so I thought, has written an insightful post about periodicals and how they have changed. He sets the tone for his musings with the excerpt above. Click here to read the entire post. Peer at magazines though Ian's eyes.
Tags: Magazines, Periodicals, Publications, Journalism, Writing, Media 101, Ian Lidster, Media by Sistrunk
14 comments:
Isn't he a wonderful writer?
You are such a sweetheart and I am so flattered. This means a lot to me and thank you, my dear.
Thanks too to Dr. Deb. I think my face is red from such high praise.
Your friend,
Ian
Jaimie! It's so good to have you stop by. Sometimes it is nice to have magazines that are quick reads. I have kids at home, so I know what you're talking about. At the same time, I still miss the quality of magazines of days gone by. I wonder if we'll ever be able to strike a balance.
Dr. Deb: Yes, he is a wonderful writer. And two Debs can't be wrong! LOL
Ian: I took so much pleasure in introducing your post. I've been a big fan of yours for some time. You're not just a wonderful writer. You ooze with charm and kindness of spirit. I also love your candor. Have a fabulous weekend, my friend.
I too love Ian's blog. He is wonderful in his prose and it is always fun to drop by to read the latest offerings.
As to whether we still need magazines, I don't think so. I much prefer books, but that's just me. Although the choices listed here are excellent and worthy of reading.
Have a wonderful weekend, I know I will :):)
Enid
Enid: I love books. However, my work requires that I read, write and research all day long. Often, by the time I get home, I just can't read one more word. I have a load of books I've bought that I have not read.
I think the kids are part of the equation, too. I tell people at the office that when I leave for home, I'm going to my "second job."
For Christmas, my son bought me The Purpose-Driven Life. I was so excited! I am determined to get through this book.
Enjoy your weekend, and happy reading. :-)
Enid: I love books. However, my work requires that I read, write and research all day long. Often, by the time I get home, I just can't read one more word. I have a load of books I've bought that I have not read.
I think the kids are part of the equation, too. I tell people at the office that when I leave for home, I'm going to my "second job."
For Christmas, my son bought me The Purpose-Driven Life. I was so excited! I am determined to get through this book.
Enjoy your weekend, and happy reading. :-)
i could spend all day at barnes and noble just reading through their impressive collection. or the library. which do you subscribe to now?
At this time, I can only speak of Romanian magazines...Well, I only buy them out of complete boredom. The market is full of women's magazines, soapy stories magazines and paparazzi photos magazines. As for newspaper, I stick to online versions, the printed ones are hardly worth the money. I do spend a lot on books though.
Dr. Charles: When I go to a book store, I have to leave my check book and credit card at home, and take cash. If I don't, I could do major damage to my budget! I love books!
When it comes to periodicals, it's a little hard to choose favorites. I read news magazines, particularly Time, U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek. I like each of them for different reasons. If I find the time, I'll read Vanity Fair for the same reason that Jaimie cited. I love National Geographic. When it comes to business mags, I go back and forth between Business Week and Forbes.
This month GQ is my favorite mag because Robert De Niro is on the cover. Be still my heart. LOL!
When it comes to newspapers in general, they aren't what they used to be. But I still enjoy the Wall Street Journal.
The biggest change in my periodical browsing is that I read primarily online now.
Alina: I feel as you do about most American magazines. Most of them bore me. I'm definitely not into most women's magazines. And with one or two exceptions, I wouldn't spend money on a newspaper subscription. I read online.
@ Dr. Charles: Thank you for stopping by. You have a marvelous site that I am still clicking through.
You should see how many magazines I throw away. I get them free but boy it is just too much reading for me. My first time visiting Ian and I'm impressed.
Rose: You throw away magazines?! Quick, what's your address? I'll come by and get them! :-)
Seriously, I understand. You can only read so much.
I hope you enjoy Ian as much as I do. Both of you are jewels.
i love ian's posts. they are very interesting and thought-provoking. i'm in school right now, so pretty much all i read are my textbooks, with the exception of an occasional magazine. i still buy books though, and will one day have time to sit and read again. i read my news online, or watch it on t.v., and of course, blog reading can account for some good reading.
sylvia
Sylvia: Ian's posts are certainly thought-provoking. To me, his site is like a breath of fresh air.
For Christmas, my son gave me Rick Warren's book, The Purpose-Driven Life. I am determined to make time to read this book daily. I am convinced that it will be viewed as one of the most important books of the decade.
Post a Comment