The Art of Making Magazines: On Being an Editor and Other Views from the Industry

Bold, brash, and on target on the compelling issues of the magazine industry in a digital age, this slight collection of observations by editors and scribes, delivered as part of the recent Delacorte lecture series at Columbia University’s School of Journalism, is the creation of Navasky, the former acclaimed Nation editor, and Cornog, the dean of the School of Communication at Hofstra University. Navasky and Cornog wisely chose a variety of distinctive voices in the business, including John Gregory Dunne, Tina Brown, Ruth Reichl, Michael Kelly, John R. MacArthur, and Robert Gottlieb. Some of the topics presented by the veterans are cultivating author talent, selecting timely topics, keeping art and design on the cutting edge, as well as the conflict between business interests and editorial designs, and the future of magazines in the computer age. Pay attention to critic and essayist Dunne’s lively take on trendsetting writing styles, Reichl’s candid chronicle of her struggles during her editorial reign at Gourmet magazine, Kelly’s savvy comments about choosing the identity of a magazine, and Harper’s publisher MacArthur’s tough tirade on the clash between ad revenue and editorial content. This is a book not to be missed by working editors and journalists, print newbies, and magazine junkies. (Sept.)