On Spec

On Spec is a digest-sized quarterly packed with SF short fiction and poetry -you'll find science fiction, fantasy, horror, magic realism, and more in every issue. We publish a theme issue annually, and this year it's "Me & Mr. Jones: Addiction."

NB: I was surprised to see that cancellations and refunds are not allowed if you subscribe via amazon.com -we've always offered a full refund to anyone not happy with their subscription. Just goes to show that the best way to subscribe is directly:

Asana - International Yoga Journal

I love the magazine, no ads, excellent content. My only problem was it was too short! It's maybe 20 pages. I am a yoga instructor and a more advanced practitioner. In my opinion this is not a fluffy magazine. The asanas are more advanced, the content is more specific (yoga therapy, yoga theory), and there is no extra content (eat this, look at cute yoga clothes, etc.). So definitely order if you are advanced, intermediate, do yoga everyday type that reads the sutras, but if you are interested in a more asana based magazine or just beginning without any real thought to advancing to handstands and the like try something more western based.

American Scholar

Sometime in 2004, I found my first issue of 'The American Scholar', and I was amazed at how fascinating such a wide ranging hodge-podge collection of essays (essays!) could be. I read it from cover to cover alongside the reviews of literature and art and memoir, here were topics I generally had no interest in (Science, travel, medicine), written by experts for laymen, entertaining and engaging and informative. I waited for the next issue, glad of what I had discovered.

Except then I found out the editor, Anne Fadiman, was stepping down and the magazine was going in a different direction. What's worse, it was clear from the editorial that Ms. Fadiman was not happy about the situation, and hadn't really even been told *why* she was being asked to leave.

Uh-oh, I thought.

Maybe it only seems this way, but I wonder if I haven't fallen into a pattern where I catch the tail end of a wonderful era, only to witness the gradual slide toward the lowest common denominator. The new editors, as promised, began to alter the course of the magazine, slowly, or at least slowly enough so that as I subscribed for the first time (with reservations), I only noticed a few slight changes. There wasn't enough to be disappointed in yet.

The stated purpose of the new American Scholar overlords was to bring a current event slant to the magazine, to address the issues of the day, to weigh in where weighing in by the Phi Betta Kappa society was needed at least from the perspective of the Phi Betta Kappa society. But only a fraction of each issue would be devoted to this new penetrating analysis. The rest of the magazine would follow the successful format laid out in past years stellar articles about any and all subjects under the sun.

What the hey, I thought, it's their magazine, they have that right and even though the tone (which I felt had been pleasantly neutral before) sounded a little more shrill, I stuck with it. The 'Scholar' became my brother's annual Christmas gift to me, and I still enjoyed it for the most part.

But there were more changes aesthetic mostly, but the current events slant slipped further and further to the political left, and even though I never was a fan of the Iraq War or President Bush, if I wanted to hear insightful (or incendiary) commentary regarding either one, I had Harper's magazine or Al Franken available and who could do it better anyway. And who would have thought that adding color photography to the cover (and abandoning the delightfully archaic and iconic imagery of "The Pen") would, instead of making the magazine stand out, blend it into the already brightly colored spectrum of limited shelf space?

Two more years, and two more subscriptions, went by. The 'Scholar' added fiction to make up for 'The Atlantic' dropping theirs. (This decision never made sense to me. If 'The Atlantic' didn't find it profitable, they why would the 'Scholar'?) I did look forward to this change, but the fiction is assigned, not solicited (which, realistically, is probably how most of the bigger magazines handle it, regardless of what they say about looking for new writers), and, as I expected, reflected a stable of current, multicultural, predictable authors. No surprise discoveries here!

I thought, during 2007, the last year I carried a subscription, that the focus of the magazine was approximately half and half split between current events and 'scholarly' articles. Additionally, the editors fell under the spell of the current trend of magazines that waste the first two or three pages with sidebar and paragraph articles, presumably to break the reader in slowly because we surely don't have the attention span necessary to dive right in. Whatever. I did not bother to ask for a renewal.

I bought the winter 2009 issue to see if the 'Scholar' had gone all the way to the bottom, or was, Helter-Skelter, trying to get back to the top of the slide. After reading it, the only thing I could think of was the phrase my son uses when he's deeply ambivelent about something. "Meh". Still about one half of the magazine concerns itself with current events, or else the subject matter, perhaps inherently neutral, seems to be infused with the author's bias, as though they are staking out a position. Regardless of the topic, it came off as stale and stifling. The other half, still refreshing and fascinating, contained the reviews of literature and art. The 'Scholar' is the only magazine that does them the way I think they should be done one article = one in-depth review.

A note to those considering subscriptions the stated subscription price on this site does not match the price printed inside the magazine which is substantially lower. Substantially lower, but in my opinion, still not low enough to lure me back. I can only keep hoping the content will do that.

The first issue under the guidance of its new editorial staff showed what the PBK board must have had in mind. The magazine has adopted now a current-events bent, in place of the more insulated material that many found so appealing before. Photos are now part of the formatnot good photos, or color photos, or anything like that, just waste-of-space photos. Oh yeah, in a nutshell, the pen is gone from the cover. The changes bring a once-great journal down to a level of mediocrity that results from trying to compete in a game that is not their own. I will not be renewing.

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I had subscribed to the American Scholar for many years for the fine essays. I've let my subscription lapse now that the new editors have dumbed the magazine down. I can't imagine who they're trying to appeal to. The current issue's recourse to Kitty Kelly was the straw that broke the camel's back.

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I don't see any place for this magazine in a world where you can subscribe to The Wilson Quarterly and The Atlantic for incisive coverage of politics and current events (not to mention book reviews), or McSweeney's for short stories and poetry, or The New Yorker for a generous weekly dose of all of the above. The book reviews are often quite good, but the other content in The American Scholar has never stood out to me.

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Sometimes experimental, often lyrical. At once intellectual and emotional. The American Scholar publishes the same genres as The New Yorker and Harper's: essays, criticism, poetry, and fiction. The Scholar's essays, however, are not as slavishly tied to current events and celebrities. More frequently, they invoke liberal arts rock stars you'll remember from your college years, but in a voice that is fresh, poetic and personal...never arcane or academic. "Genome Tome" is a great example of the magazine's willingness to take risks. It is an essay in 23 parts, one for each chromosome pair on the human genome, and it is complex, technical, musical, accessible, and powerful. No wonder it won a 2006 National Magazine Award. Other favorite articles (all from the past two years or so) include: "Solitude and Leadership" (2010 National Magazine Award nominee), "Reading in the Digital Age," "They Get to Me," "Hive of Nerves," and "What Kind of a Father Am I?"

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The Nation

The Nation is a great publication that has featured the works of scholarly writers such as Eric Alterman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Noam Chomsky and Norman Mailer. Though the issues addressed and the opinions expressed are often labeled as leftist, this magazine nonetheless contains some very thought-provoking nuances and propositions for a better America that sound intelligent.

Though many are outraged about some of the stances that the editors and contributors of The Nation have taken, their retorts often fall short of being strong, tangible, clearly expressed responses. From what I see and hear, too many discussions from them center around using diatribes and trying with no success to portray or effectively deconstruct the perceived merits and flaws of this work or the like.

It was from reading nonfiction books by Ayn Rand that I was perpetually presented the term straw man, an argument approach that was, according to Rand, used by those of altruistic and socialistic agendas that stripped mankind of its individual freedoms. With The Nation, there are bits and pieces of anecdotal evidence that might oppose any laissez-faire capitalistic themes championed by Rand, but I cannot say that they are mere straw man commentaries.

I concur that the magazine might be somewhat slanted, as are all other publications. But global and domestic complexities, I believe, are abounding at a rate that not even the most sophisticated philosophies or ideologies from years past can focus upon in adequate context. To me, The Nation is one of those rare, bold sources that unequivocally acknowledge this disturbance.

Among the recurring themes in this publication is that in this twenty-first century, despite the technological advances that have come to fruition, our nation and world are as divided as ever and that economic globalization seems to have married or melded the worst elements of opposing political platforms. To many contributors, it was decades ago that very few envisioned that the powerful from the freest of societies would be expanding their businesses and increasing their wealth by overtly banking upon productivity levels from geographical areas where human rights are minimized or obliterated.

In The Nation, very interesting columns and analyses are provided regarding the living conditions that working class Americans are either embracing or enduring. Suggestions are intermittently proposed regarding higher pay, better health care, and improved living standards through government reforms, often where the efforts from hard-working individuals and the private sector fall short.

As a reader, I do not necessarily agree with the views espoused, and the level to which I do so is not what I find to be the value of The Nation. What is priceless about this publication is that regardless of what school you are from or what think tank you highly esteem, it will either perpetually reinforce your cherished ideals or will make you use introspection, perhaps re-examine what you thought were sound resolutions for a progressive society.

While many mainstream publications have been shying away from calling members of the current American government into account for their transgressions from bribery and theft to misinformation and cover-ups of sexual escapades "The Nation" has done its job and reported the facts. For its trouble, many of those who lean the same way as the current administration lambast the magazine as "too liberal" and "naively progressive."

So let's put it this way: If you value truth over lies and think the rights of "the little guy" are just as important as the rights of fat cats, you will like "The Nation." But be warned -"The Nation" is rife with page after thorough page of intense reporters' writings, and even some clever poetry, but only rarely has pictures. Which may be the real reason why right wingers don't like it.

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This publication owes nothing to no one. It tackles complex subjects with the assumption that the reader is intelligent enough to follow the text. It is such a joy to read thoughtful indepth articles about the big story--and all the little stories underneath. I read The Nation when I was young and I am still reading it in my middle age. What a pleasure to hear news without catch phrase or the latest missused hyperpole. I donate to this publication and I would think that anyone who discovers it ( or re-discovers it) would do the same. I am so pleased to be part of The Nation's continuing quest to enlighten and challenge.

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I have been receiving the Nation for several years. I got started during the Bush years when other media sources seemed to be in lockstep, beating the drum for the (Iraq) war. The rise in popularity of Faux News is inversely proportional to the level of intellectual sophistication of its audience. I have subscribed to several progressive publications but they lacked the seriousness and depth provided by the Nation. The Nation is thoughtful, well researched and well written an effective and direct antidote to the reactionary mainstream media. I look forward to receiving it, especially when something newsworthy arises. I particularly appreciate the impressive credentials of the Nation's contributors; because today's issues can be complicated and confusing. Especially since power brokers are less than candid. The Nation is critical of all hypocrisy whether it comes from the left or the right. Even though my budget is very tight this is one item I do not consider to be dispensable. I need to be informed and I trust the Nation to help me reach that goal. Beware! After you start reading the Nation everything else will appear dumbed down!

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Ordering this subscription here (rather than direct) saved a couple of dollars, but it's going to take over 4 months to receive the first issue. As a gift, this is a bit of a failure.

Journal of International Security Affairs

A friend of mine lent me a copy of The Journal of International Security Affairs after a cover story comparing post-World War II Germany with (what is likely to be) post-Saddam Iraq caught my eye. I found the articles within to be uniformly well-written by a broad spectrum of authors (academics, policymakers, military officials, etc) from both the U.S. and abroad (India, Russia, etc).

Published by a Washington-based organization named JINSA, the tone was fair and balanced, with topics ranging from today's front-page news to tomorrow's. Notably, in an earlier issue I thumbed through, Natan Sharanksy authored an article about the Mid-East peace process. It's definitely worth a good look.

This journal got off to a great start in the summer of 2001 with its inaugural issue that included an article by Natan Sharansky called "From Helsinki to Oslo." In issue #4, at the start of 2003, it saw that American troops would roll into Baghdad, but that it would be very difficult to "win the peace." We'd been successful in doing just that in Germany in 1945, but this journal pointed out that doing it in Iraq would be extraordinarily difficult. And the journal has discussed many of the problems with the UN.

What can we expect in the future? More insights. Right now, Abu Mazen has just been elected to take over from the recently deceased Yasser Arafat. And some folks think that Abu Mazen can do what Arafat failed to do, namely make peace. But those who look at the JINSA website will see that they feel that Abu Mazen neither can make peace nor wishes to.

I like to read journals that see things as they are, not as some folks wish they were. And I recommend this one.

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I found this JINSA published journal on campus a few weeks ago and am happy I did. It appears as a decent, bi-partisan foreign policy journal. Though the number of pages and articles could be expanded and increased for sure. Highly recommended to the students of foreign and public policy. Great read!

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Down East - the Magazine of Maine

I live in Massachusetts, but I go to Maine to vacation every summer. This magazine provides ample and diverse information for events and cultural attractions, as well as giving home and living advice. I highly reccommend this magazine to anyone who enjoys vacationing in Maine or just admires its rugged and natural beauty and local charm.

We love this magazine. My husband and I are planning a move to Maine and this magazine is a fun read for us.

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As a landowner and a visitor to DownEast Maine, I find this paper indespensable. I pick it up each time I am in Maine (I'm from California), and I find the articles very informative plus I get to see the classified ads which definitely help! Great paper for those who subscribe, are local, or far away as I am. Best paper as far as Maine information.!

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Teachers Helper - Kindergarten ed

I have been a fan of Teacher's Helper for years. If I had to give up all but one of my teacher subscriptions, this is the one I would keep. This magazine has just what I need to reinforce and reteach skills. The editors are right on target with the skill set. Each new issue is filled with material I need and can use immediately. Very high quality product!

Our class bought a subscription to this magazine for our Kindergarten teacher as a thank you. We had no idea if it was 'worthy' or not, but our teacher LOVED IT. She was very grateful and said she really enjoyed it.

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Teacher's Helper is extremely helpful to have as a teacher. It provides timely and relevant material for students to practice. Because it only requires copying on the photo copier, unlike some other kindergarten projects, this one does not take a lot of prep! I highly recommend this product to new teachers and even as an experienced teacher, I like to get it so that I can see some new material. Each year there are new things I want to use with my students.

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Teachers Helper - Grade 1 ed

A teacher at the primary level is inundated with wonderful teaching material. Many times, however, a teacher in the primary classroom needs a quick activity that needs very little prep time. Teacher's Helper serves this purpose wonderfully! An excellent source when preparing for a substitute. I have found every issue to be filled with seasonal projects and skill review pages that are specifically designed for my grade level. I was first introduced to Teacher's Helper as a beginning teacher. It was a wonderful reference tool as I struggled to prepare lessons that were age and grade appropriate. As I gained teaching experience, I found Teacher's Helper to be an excellent source for skill reinforcement. I would highly recommend Teacher's Helper magazine.

I have been a fan of Teacher's Helper for years. (17 to be exact!) If I had to give up all but one of my teacher subscriptions, this is the one I would keep. This magazine has just what I need to reinforce and reteach skills. The editors are right on target with the skill set. Each new issue is filled with material I need and can use immediately. Very high quality product!

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Purchased this every year as a birthday gift for my daughter-in-law who is a first grade teacher. She loves it! She asks for renewal every year. No problem with renewal. Transaction was great!

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