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The Believer is a thick new magazine of
(mostly) book reviews and interviews, hailing from the
same street address as McSweeney's and
buzz-author-cum-cult-leader Dave Eggers. It's also a
breath of fresh air for those looking for a meaty
discussion on contemporary literature. While
its newsstand neighbors bear titles
such as Barnes & Noble Presents Book Magazine,
The Believer is staunchly independent and free
of bias toward the publishing industry's financial
pull. There are no ads on any of its 127
pages, and the editorial staff states up front
that the content of each issue will not be bound
solely to the new release racks. The closest thing you'll find to bias in this magazine is that all the reviews
are essentially positive. They are in-depth,
tangential, and sometimes a bit overly-intellectual,
but they certainly refuse to waste space on any books
that might be considered bad; indeed, the first
premise of the magazine is of the "Inherent Good":
"Books are inherently good," they state on the very
first page, "as are people marching to express a
political opinion. In this magazine, we will never
forget the concept of the Inherent Good."
The fact that the magazine was nearly called The
Optimist is telling. This sense of unflagging
optimism permeates all thirteen of its featured articles,
and is the glue that holds the magazine
together, whether the topic is Charles Dickens,
anti-war protests in San Francisco, or Interpol. The
writing is a blend of intellectualism and playfulness.
Anyone familiar with the McSweeney's quarterly
literary journal or its internet counterpart should
have a good idea of what to expect here.
More important than the magazine's tone, of
course, is its content, and The Believer
delivers more often than not. In addition to the book
reviews, Marc Herman writes an informative piece on
the San Francisco anti-war protests in February,
putting them in context with the way in which anti-war protests have evolved over the
century; recently re-fatwa'd author Salman Rushdie
interviews acclaimed director Terry Gilliam; Jonathan
Lethem (author of the excellent Motherless
Brooklyn) playfully critiques Charles Dickens's
late novel Dombey and Sons on the premise that
the characters in the book are in fact talking
animals. Other interviewees include Beth Orton, Kumar
Pallana (you know, the Indian guy from all the Wes
Anderson movies) and California-based novelist Susan
Straight, whose novel Highwire Noon was beaten
out for the National Book Award by Jonathan Franzen's
monster hit, The Corrections. (The interview
asks, "Why is it when a man writes about family it's a
Great Social Novel, and when a woman does, it's a
Small Domestic Gem?") There is also a lengthy
meditation on Interpol and our culture's current fascination with all things eighties-related.
Regular features include short reviews
of Motels, Children, Power Tools, and Mammals, as well
as poems by Anne Carson (whose entry in this issue is
hoping against all hope that you've never read Donald
Barthelme) and regular interviews with
contemporary philosophers (this issue: Galen
Strawson). There are also short sections called
"Underway", in which contemporary authors drop a
little line to let you know how their new projects are
going, and "Idea Share", a list of "worthy, ready,
copyright-free ideas for the having". Beginning with
the next issue (appearing in May, then monthly after
that), there will also be regular columns by Jim
Shepard and current buzz-generating author ZZ Packer.
As with other McSweeney's projects, The
Believer is thoughtfully designed and laid out,
and has filled every nook and cranny of its pages with
little treasures, whether drawings of different animal
skulls or various outlandish requests for material
from the mysterious Gerald Clam Ferrari (e.g. his plea
for a joke utilizing Chicago singer Peter Cetera and
the word "etcetera").
In all, it's a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to
end. Almost all of the articles are informative
and entertaining, without the stink of jaded elitism or
buckling allegiance to the big publishing houses.
Eight bucks can be a hefty price for a magazine, but
fans of literary culture will likely not be
disappointed.
-- Scott Tennent
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