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Katie_I
Mountain climber
Wyoming
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Oct 16, 2008 - 09:32pm PT
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Dear all,
I was (until this morning) the senior editor for Alpinist Magazine. We're all deeply saddened about this news. No one expected the national financial crisis to hit us this suddenly or this hard. I'm not in the circulation department, so I don't know what will be done about subscriptions, but I'm sure they will post the information on alpinist.com as soon as they know.
I've worked at Alpinist for four years. We all strove to keep the magazine going--to the best of our ability and energy. I don't regret a single hour of my 90-hour workweeks. We loved our jobs because of the readers and climbers like you who inspired us, and because we wanted to create something that represented the best of the climbing life--through words and images that would reflect the integrity, style, purity, artistry and imagination of the most meaningful expressions of the pursuit. Because we believe that climbing is an art that demands our deepest commitment and our boldest, most creative dreams--at whatever level we climb. Because we held our magazine's writing and illustration to those same standards and tried to make each issue the greatest contribution to the community that we could. And because, as Christian our editor-in-chief often said, we wanted to encourage our readers to appreciate and to help preserve the wild spaces that make all such adventures possible.
Every word I edited or wrote represented my effort to produce the best work I could. And I know everyone else in the other departments pushed him or herself just as hard. As an editor, it has been an incredible privilege for me to do work that I truly believed in and that reflected a truly idealistic vision--a rare chance in this modern world. I learned so much from all the writers I worked with--and I'll miss the chance to help them with their stories and assist them in finding their own voices.
It's been a grand adventure. I wish it could keep going. Thank you for everything you did to help us stay afloat as long as we could.
More than anything, from our contributors and our readers, and from all of you, I've learned that beauty and truth and ideals are worth taking risks for. And that I can always strive to think more creatively and surpass my own preconceived limits--whether in writing, editing or in climbing.
If you've contributed something to Issue 26, 27 or 28, I'm trying to email all the writers tonight/tomorrow. I'm deeply sorry that we can't print your work. Right now, that feels like the saddest part.
take care,
Katie Ives
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 16, 2008 - 09:55pm PT
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Very sad news. I have been reading Alpinist for a while, my daughter gifted me a subscription for a christmas present a couple of years ago.
After giving up on Climbing after it changed from a climbing magazine to a sunday paper advertisement insert, and sort of missing the Rock & Ice zeitgeist, Alpinist came closest to Mountain long gone, and some aspects of the old Climbing.
As a reader I appreciate the work that the staff did putting the wonderful magazine together. The quality of the magazine, edition to edition, reflected the care that the editors put into each one.
I still have Alpinist 25 on my desk here, thinking, recently, about the next edition. Now I know that it won't be.
Congratulations to you all for a great run of 25 editions that will be treasured and collected in the future. I am happy to have those, and sad that there will be no more, and no replacement on the horizon.
We can only hope that someday Mountain and now Alpinist will inspire a publisher to aspire to their standard.
Good job you all. Well done.
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Crag Q
Trad climber
Louisville, Colorado
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:02pm PT
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Very sad news. I've been a subscriber since day one. I really appreciate the beautiful work you folks put out. I wish you best of luck in your next endeavors!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:04pm PT
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Much Thanks to all the folks at Alpinist and to all who contributed.
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eujin
climber
California
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:20pm PT
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That's bad news and I just renewed as well. RIP Alpinist ...
Glen Denny, Tom Frost, Ron Kauk autographed this copy during a slideshow at my college.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:26pm PT
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Thanks Katie, and all involved. A tragedy to see the last one fall.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:27pm PT
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Katie, that's sad news for the climbing community in general, us subscribers in particular, and especially all you hard-working folks who were making Alpinist work.
We finished a first draft for an article this weekend, not sure where it might find another home.
Best wishes,
L
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:33pm PT
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Thanks, Katie, for the post, and best luck to all the workers at Alpinist in landing on their feet and heading off to interesting new adventures. The talented people who made that book what it was deserve to be scooped right up by other adventure journals looking to put out quality stuff.
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rick d
climber
tucson, az
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:38pm PT
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first (really) the 'old' kennedy era Climbing
then Mountain
then the cooler Mountain Review
High
S.T.A.C.
Vulgarian Digest
Off Belay
Summit
etc
of well........
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:57pm PT
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Kate-- Thanks for posting. Best of luck with yr next gig.
Terribly sad, but not surprising. The publishing industry is getting hit hard right now, even the big houses are getting ready to axe tons of their mid-list authors and many editors will doubtless get pink slips, too.
Alpinist was the single best climbing journal produced in North America--
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travelin_light
Trad climber
California
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Oct 16, 2008 - 11:36pm PT
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They have clearly set a benchmark.
Guess I will have to find some euro rags out there that will still have real articles about the mountains.
I refuse to give in and read about boulders and sport crags.
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Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Oct 16, 2008 - 11:38pm PT
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I could care less about the 3 years I just signed up and paid for. I'll miss the mag. You guys did a really nice job, so much so that non climbers who visited my place couldn't keep their hands off of it.
Hope you put it together and start it up again.
Prod.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Oct 16, 2008 - 11:42pm PT
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Support Mountain Gazette, not the same, a very different approach, but very much real, all the same.
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10b4me
climber
the gray bands
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Oct 16, 2008 - 11:42pm PT
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this is terrible news. it was a great magazine
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
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Oct 17, 2008 - 12:02am PT
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Feck! What am gonna read on the john?
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Oct 17, 2008 - 12:03am PT
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We are very saddened to hear this news. Simply put, Alpinist was the best climbing journal I've ever had the pleasure to pick up. It seems that over the last 10-15 years we have been witnessing the slow demise of print journalism in all its forms. Even as population (and numbers of climbers) increase, fewer seem to have the time or inclination to read in depth coverage, prefering spoon fed sound bites.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Oct 17, 2008 - 12:07am PT
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wow, what a loss. I so looked forward to each new issue. Thanks to all the bright and bold people who combined to make that such a wonderful periodical to receive.
I'll not be returning to any of those other mags so I guess my armchair climber status is now threatened also...
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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Oct 17, 2008 - 12:07am PT
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Don't worry people, we still have Bisharat!
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Oct 17, 2008 - 01:24am PT
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Christian et al. took a chance on a piece I wrote, early in the development of Alpinist. It is still my only legitimate published work. Seeing my thoughts made permanent within its pages was a huge compliment, flattering beyond what I deserve, and I was amazed at the quality of the editing staff I worked with (anonymously... perhaps like confession), and even more amazed at the artwork that accompanied my words. Thanks for the chance.
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travelin_light
Trad climber
California
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Oct 17, 2008 - 01:58am PT
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I always liked saving an article for a flight somewhere. I would stretch it out and dive in. However, it sure would not take long before a stewardess or seat mate would quickly become captivated by a photo of an ice choked mountain face spilling out of a tri-fold. "Where the heck is that? And who is that wild eyed dude plastered with ice and snow...damn guy looks near death!" Oh he is fine, just another day for him...nice mag eh?
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