Swimming against the stream would be an understatement…
April 14th, 2006 | by Klaus Holzapfel |
Imagine a guy working like a maniac on his own magazine. Publishing it twice a year with a distribution of 1500.
Sounds like Mel Gibson with his newsletter in conspiracy theory? Not quite.
The New Yorker Tod Lippy is creating and publishing the magazine Esopus by himself.
Esopus’ mission states:
To provide an accessible, non-commercial space in which creative people and the public can connect in meaningful ways.
The magazine acts as a forum for current cultural developments for artists, film makers, photographers, architects, musicians and writers.
Esopus has a very unique look and feel. It is thick, heavy, has tons of foldouts - it is simply as unusual as a magazine can be. 5 issues have been released since 2003 so far.
So, what does Esopus mean?
“The Esopus Foundation takes its name and example from the Esopus Creek, located in New York’s Catskill mountains. It begins as a small stream and meanders north, then southeast, then northeast until it empties into the Hudson River. In the 19th century it was a powerful force that carved canyons along its course, but in the 1930s its current was intersected by the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir, which stores much of New York City’s water supply. The part of the stream that runs below this filtering system is often brackish and slow-moving; but above the reservoir, the Esopus is still vibrant: a pure, dynamic space in which diverse elements flow and meld together.”
How does this Tod Lippy survive?
He has started the non-profit Esopus Foundation Ltd. . It accepts donations and keeps Tod afloat.
If you thought you were a total control freak because you have your own blog - think twice.
I have a feeling the distribution will not always stay at 1,500.
Old issues are traded in bookstores already. Definitely a collectors’ item…
Story first found at Sueddeutsche Zeitung
