Welcome Back!

After an agonising hiatus of nearly two years, following the destruction of its offices by flames, The Baffler has finally published its fifteenth number.

The self-described "Magazine That Blunts The Cutting Edge" has since 1988 unremittingly obliterated popular culture with uncommonly smart and pointed writing (as well as fiction, poetry, and imagery), without, gasp!, compromising its sense of humour.

Even its subscription appeal, in fact, elicits belly-laughs aplenty: "This is a new kind of war, friend, fought without think-tank money, celebrities, or glossy ads from transnational luxury conglomerates. It will require sacrifices. We will ask you to send a check or money order for $24 to the address below, which will ensure delivery of Bafflers 16 through 19. Coalition partners in Canada and Mexico will be asked to add an extra $4 for postage, while those elsewhere in the world will be asked to tack on $20."

The new ish takes on, among other topics, the Super Bowl, the weather, the cross-promotional media giants, superstar chefs, rock 'n' race, doll collector mania, and elite ritual societies.

If the magazine isn't quite as fiery as one might have expected, following the too-long layoff and the societal changes wrought by September 11, well, it just goes to show the heights to which expectations had been raised by previous editions. And it's still just about the best damned thing you'll read all year. Subscribe today!

Here endeth the unsolicited plug.

Posted by Eddie Tews at January 21, 2003 03:10 PM