But these days tastes and budgets are a bit more discriminating in our household. My son gets Sports Illustrated (does he take it only for the swimsuit issue?), my wife takes Better Homes & Gardens (although we don't have a better home to show for it, and we sure as heck don't have any gardens) . . . and my daughter takes no magazines. Zip! As for me, I recently secured a free subscription to Indianapolis Monthly, I also take The New Yorker, and today I received my first issue of Poetry. It's been over twenty years since I last subscribed, and the #1 Poetry magazine in America, published out of Chicago, has since seen a change of editors, a large gift from Ruth Lilly (wasn't it an eight-digit gift?), and a slightly new format.
Although I have not read a word of the new mag yet, I did thumb through the copious advertisements and "calls" for manuscripts in the back of the issue and noted that a west coast magazine called Rattle had a full-page ad. I'm familiar with Rattle. A nice journal, slick, highly-fashionable, and decidedly great writing in its pages. The editor there has recently accepted some of my poems and I also received a free subscription to this magazine because I'm one of their authors.
Okay, so Rattle makes four magazines now.
Although I read many more books than magazines, I still get a kick out of walking out to the mailbox every day (120 yards one way!) for my morning exercise. Opening the mailbox can be like opening a Christmas gift, or a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!
But I'm ever more excited when I send my work to these, and other, magazines. Getting an acceptance (and maybe a paycheck?) is even better than a chocolate buzz.
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