Magazine Reviews

Booth. 2010. a. (print); w. (online). $5. Ed: Robert Stapleton. illus. Aud: Ac, GA. (Subject: Literature, Modern—21st Century. Issue examined: Issue 1, Spring 2010)
Booth is produced by the Department of English at Butler University. The online version publishes one work per week, and the small, annual print magazine curates from the weekly postings a selection of short fiction, comic narratives, and a few poems. The print and online versions are simply designed in black and white. The editor calls the inaugural print issue "68 pages of fun and humanity," which is an accurate description of the spirit of Booth. Its creative lightheartedness makes it a welcome addition to the crowded ranks of literary magazines, so many of which tend to dwell on the more depressing aspects of life. Booth provides a lot of bang for five bucks. It’s certainly worth adding to contemporary American literature collections.

Independent World Report. 2009. bi-m. €75. Ed: Tasneem Khalil. ISSN 2000-3757. illus. Aud: GA. (Subject: Human Rights. Issue examined: Mar./Apr. 2010)
Published in Sweden, Independent World Report describes itself as "a global briefing on human rights, international politics, peace and justice." Bangladeshi editor and publisher Khalil was an independent journalist reporting for CNN and other news outlets when he was detained and tortured by Bangladesh’s military intelligence agency in 2007. He was granted political asylum in Sweden, where he worked with Human Rights Watch and now actively blogs on human rights issues. The examined issue includes articles about witch hunting in Africa, the Catholic Church child abuse scandal in Germany, land mines, rights of homosexuals, and Myanmar. The magazine has a pleasing graphic design and effective use of color photography. Independent World Report is informative but reads a bit awkwardly due to misuse of commas and italics. Although reports on human rights abuses are available through other publications and on the web, this magazine offers a valuable independent voice to draw more attention to the disturbingly wide range of human rights abuses around the globe.

Irish Roots. 1992. q. $35. Ed: Maureen Phibbs. ISSN 0791-6329. illus. adv. Aud: GA. (Subject: Ireland—Genealogy. Issue examined: Issue 73, 2010)
Irish Roots, which has recently been launched on the international retail distribution market and is now available as a digital download via Zinio, has an appealing, homespun authenticity that makes it a superb publication for its intended audience of people interested in researching their Irish genealogy. The fact-filled writing uses a folksy style that's as entertaining as it is informative. Articles in the examined issue address lesser-known sources for finding information about ancestors, tips for using Flickr, and how to keep dates straight during the complex transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Short features include book reviews, a Q&A with an Irish genealogy expert, and letters to the editor. The graphic design is a plain three-column format enlivened with color photographs. The relatively few advertisements are all for geneaology-related products and services. Irish Roots is an excellent magazine for libraries serving patrons interested in geneaology, especially in communities with many Irish Americans. [Until Jul. 30, 2010, a year's subscription to Irish Roots is available for libraries at $25.]

Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 2010. s-a. $239. Eds: David Huxley & Joan Ormrod. ISSN 2150-4857. illus. Aud: Ac. (Subject: Comic Books, Strips, etc. Issue examined: Vol.1, No.1, 2010)
Quoting the editors, "The Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics incorporates all aspects of the graphic novel, comic strip and comic book. Its scope is interdisciplinary and international, covering not only English language comics but also worldwide comic culture." The inaugural issue is currently free online and contains research articles on topics like the representation of Jews, sexual identities of superheroes, and the absence of black supervillans. The editors provide an introductory essay highlighting prior work in comic studies but oddly fail to mention the excellent and affordable International Journal of Comic Art (ISSN 1531-6793, $70), a first choice for this topic area. The study of comics is a growing field with plenty of room for a new journal, so the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics will make a good addition to any library supporting media and cultural studies. [The institutional subscription price above includes electronic access; eISSN 2150-4865; online-only subs: $228; print-only: $45.]

Livestrong Quarterly. 2009. q. free online, with registration. Ed: Curt Pesmen. illus. adv. Aud: GA. (Subject: Cancer—Patients. Issue examined: Spring 2010)
Livestrong Quarterly is an extension of the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s brand. The magazine's strength is compelling, engaging articles that focus on cancer survivors and the experiences of living through cancer treatments. The examined issue includes stories about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's fight with leukemia, body image recovery after breast cancer, and "Surviving Survivor 'Scanxiety'" (concern about long-term harm from radiation). One may buy a "keepsake" print copy, but Livestrong is designed to be read online using a proprietary system called Active Magazine by Olive Software. Overall, it's slick and visually attractive, but the font is too small and too fuzzy to comfortably read without zooming way in, which defeats the purpose of mimicking the experience of turning magazine pages. Another weakness from a library's point of view is that free access to the current issue requires at least an e-mail address, and access to all content requires one to enter full contact information. Supporters of Armstrong's foundation are served well by Livestrong Quarterly, but unfortunately the current publishing model makes it difficult for libraries to provide it to patrons.

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