Three of Canada's small coterie of independent culture magazines recently hit milestones.
Geist, the great eccentric Vancouver-based magazine of ideas, fiction and memoirs anchored by editor Stephen Osborne's passionately observed columns, published a 20th anniversary issue.
Featuring highlights from their two decades of publishing, plus Annabel Lyon on Edith Iglauer and George Ferthling on used bookstore proprietor Don Stewart, this is a must read.
This Magazine, the scrappy left-infused mag that has incubated talents from Naomi Klein to Clive Thompson to Gordon Laird, celebrated 45 years in print with an anniversary issue with 45 mini-profiles of "rebels, visionaries, trouble-makers and world-changers."
As a This Magazine culture columnist way back when, I was delighted to contribute a piece ruminating on the work of Hatian-Quebec writer Dany Lafferiere. I'm in good company: Rosemary Sullivan, Mark Kingwell, Doug Saunders and many more This alumni also contributed.
*Finally, Broken Pencil: the magazine of zine culture and the independent arts, celebrated 15 years and 50 issues of publishing with a special issue devoted to their favourite "50 indie artists, people and places".
As the co-founder and publisher of BP I may be just a wee bit biased, but I'm going to say it anyway: it's a great issue and a fitting tribute to some of the people who, by devoting their lives to fostering independent and underground culture, have made Canada an infinitely richer place to live.
So, three great magazines that have survived, thrived, helped launch innumerable careers and are now proudly celebrating what they've accomplished. And yet, hardly a peep from the media overlords.
We've got the space to run a review of the crucially important Hangover 2 in every newspaper and website in the country. But when three of Canada's best magazines celebrate milestones with amazing special issues that testify to their ongoing contribution to the cultural fabric of this country-- no room for that.
Well let's vote with our eyeballs and our dollars. Check out these mags, buy their special issues, and support independent culture.