Kickstarter

Dear backers and friends,

Over the past week or so, we have prepared 99% of all the kickstarter rewards. If you have not received yours yet, not to worry, the gifts should arrive within the next week.  The process of packaging and mailing your gifts has been humbling, as I work with a special helper (my girlfriend) out of my one room apartment: labeling, stuffing magazines into mailers, and trying to rid my windowsills of the 83 boxes of magazines that now block all views of the sun.  It's ridiculous and funny--pictures on their way.  What's most enjoyable is looking at all the home addresses, places and people as far away as Japan and as close to a few blocks away from my apartment that will be receiving a copy of Local. It's a testament to the power of this relatable yet unique piece of work.  If you get to read Local over the holiday season, we ask that you correspond and provide feedback to our inaugural issue. Having a critical conversation with our readers and subscribers is important as we move on to Issue 2 (location TBA ;)). 

A few things to check out in the meantime.

• Our beautiful website made with our readers in mind. 
• Watch our Art Director's video about Norman Porter, a jeans company in Philadelphia.
• And you can read on our newly curated platform on the famous app, Flipboard . 

Right now, in our culture, in the news, and abroad, we live in a time of redress and moral urgency, and during this holiday season, we should all consider our community role, whether that's taking a stand against violence or starting to believe that we have much to learn and do in order to leave a suitable home for future generations. We hope, at the very least, you continue to support the small beginnings of Local: A Quarterly of People and Places. 

Sincerely,

Daniel Webster, Editor-in-Chief, dan@localmag.us (Drop me a line)

Dear Local Backers,

It takes a village to raise, in this case, a magazine. We are all amazed and honored at the unflappable support we’ve received from family, old friends, and new friends over the past month. In some ways, we are giddy and surprised at being fully funded early. In other ways, this is corroboration that many people want to hear a different story, not the same story of local life either muffled by traditional journalism or sensationalized for the masses. So our goal remains the same. In this momentous occasion we’d like to remind our backers of our mission:

Local: A Quarterly of People and Places commits to penning the overlooked America, bringing you the neglected narrative of this country. We aim to highlight regions that can never be packaged, sensationalized, or sold the way pop culture magnifies perceived mass appeal. Through collaborative journalism, we will piece together conversations, images, and experiences and try to hit the microcosmic bell. We will explore why Main St. still matters, communicate curiosities without cynicism, and report on serious, germane issues, preserving heritage where its dying and thriving. Our readers are the searchers and the residents, the rovers of mind and map who might wonder what is going on in Blythe, California or Manhattan, Kansas? Take that pit stop and check-in with Local. 

Finally, this is not the end of the campaign. Continued support of this project will help aid the following: 

If we get to 25 K, 

A first-rate website with a subscription service, and a place where Local articles can be displayed with a superior, aesthetic quality. 

If we get to 30 K, 

We will move forward on the app version of our magazine. We’ve been in conversation with a wonderful, magazine-app designer, and this will bring us another revenue stream to begin developing full-time staff opportunities. 

Our core team is meeting this Sunday to celebrate, and to firmly slate down our plans over the next few months. The first issue will be meditative, compelling, and true. This is our aim and we will aim well. 

“There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things.” 

 -Wendell Berry

Strike

Backers, 

We want you all to be aware of a contest we are running on Facebook; please see the picture below.  So go to our Facebook page and share that update (if you have Facebook). 

• Be sure to check out our article in one of the largest state newspapers in Pennsylvania. Brittany Horn did a wonderful write-up for us. 

• Then, go to our tumblr; it contains a magical story that will be included in our first issue. You won't want to miss it.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph said it much better than I could.