Why start a magazine?

Why does one start a magazine? The easy answer, I guess: it’s what you do. It’s what you’ve always done, and hopefully, what you always will do. Writing, editing, reporting… why does anyone gravitate to a profession? Hopefully because they love it and have a passion for it. It surely ain’t for the money (just ask any writer after they’ve said “yes” to a 1,000 word piece for .25 cents/word come the end of the month).

Helping some friends start a high school newspaper was the early beginning of that passion for me, and really, since Thicket’s inception, that’s been part of the allure: working with colleagues and friends that you both admire and respect. It’s rare that you get to work with people you genuinely like—and when they’re talented and available, well, that’s when you strike.

What’s the subject matter, then, of this new magazine venture? That was the easy part. Write what you know, and being from Alabama and loving our state, all of the partners agreed our next project needed to be a statewide magazine that covered all aspects of Alabama, from the Shoals to the Mobile –Tensaw Delta, from Tuscaloosa to Auburn and everything in between.

Timing is a crucial element and while you often can’t control that external element, the time seems ripe for Alabama to take a next step. Whether it is technology in Huntsville, a renaissance in Mobile, growth and politics in Montgomery, the medical explosion in Birmingham or the dramatic statewide growth of the auto industry, these are just a few significant developments driving Alabama forward. Take the global greening trend and look at the state’s remarkable natural wonders and resources and you have even more to shout about.

Finding quality writers from all over the state to cover the Alabama beat has been one of the most satisfying challenges so far. Which reminds me, the first high school piece I wrote was an album review of Robert Cray’s Strong Persuader.

Lessons learned since then? #1, seriously, what they heck does a 17-year old white, middle class urban boy know about the blues? #2, find writers that know what they’re talking about (as a follow up to this, see Thicket’s first issue stories by Daniel Wallace, Atticus Rominger, Phillip Morris, Kathy Farnell, Mark Kelley, Scott Register, Barry Smith, Stacey Torch, Natalie Davis, and more). For a preview of Daniel Wallace's quite creative piece for us, see his October 17th blog on the subject.

And while we started Thicket with because there is so much more to this state than gets coverage in newspapers, magazines, or television, our intention is not to evangelize when we say “Alabama Redefined.” As anyone who has traveled across the state line or beyond knows, lots of people have strong preconceived notions of what Alabama is or is not. And frankly, often they are wrong. Thicket is not explicitly setting out to reverse that—Thicket is explicitly setting out to find the most relevant stories, trends, and topics happening in 21st century Alabama—yet by virtue of the content Thicket will offer, I know that’s just going to happen.

Posted by Todd Keith