Input
Although we operate a shoot-from-the-hip design blog, we actually draw from a great deal of professional literature. By ‘professional’ we’re referring to periodicals comprised of articles written by authors who actually went to school for journalism or English literature. These individuals have a command of language, a thesis of communication, and don’t rely on spell check as the only means of quality control. In a nutshell, they’re just as serious about writing and reporting as we are about design and buildings.
In theory, we can’t get enough exposure to good writing and we’ve had little hesitation signing up for a new subscription or buying a book based on someone’s off-the-cuff recommendation. Currently we receive a healthy list of periodicals: The New York Times, The New Yorker, Time Out New York, The Atlantic Monthly, Architectural Record, Dwell Magazine, Arcade Magazine, Sunset Magazine, Gastronomica, Cook’s Illustrated, GQ, Esquire and we probably pick up enough copies of Wallpaper magazine at the airport to be considered honorary subscribers. All great magazines with talented writers, no doubt. But here’s the snafu – lately they’re just stacking up in piles. We engage in a tremendous amount of online reading (primarily the link list to the left) and there just isn’t enough time in the day to make it through all the text coming in through the door. We’ve got too much input.
So as of January 2010 we’re leting all subscriptions lapse – no new input, we’re starting with a clean slate. Maybe some of them are worth renewing or maybe we’ll never miss them. In re-establishing our input, one thing is for sure – our choices are already limited to what we know and what we don’t know. So we’re looking to the future with a new factor in BUILDblog input… you. That’s right, we want to hear from our readers, what physical informational input are you into? Who are you reading and why? Who are the authors and periodicals carving out the future? Hit that comments button and share your intel.
By Ty, March 10, 2010 @ 9:27 am
I was surprised not to see Wired alrady on your list. Much more than just a tech geek rag, they tend to be on the pulse of how technology actually affects the rest of our lives.
By mike, March 10, 2010 @ 12:51 pm
detail
A10
arch review
financial times
arts & letters daily
publicola
By Matthew Daby, March 10, 2010 @ 1:00 pm
I hear that! Amen. Periodicals aside, I spend an hour and a half minimum every morning going through my “blog-news” list online..hours included. Sometimes I am actually releaved when some are not updated for a few days. Not enough hours.
By andrew, March 10, 2010 @ 4:55 pm
It’s kinda sad to see the magazine industry slumping away. I’m sure you noticed first page size (Rolling Stone, Dwell, etc) then number of pages (Atlantic used-to-be-Monthly was the biggest shocker for me).
In the world of writing periodicals—that is writing as a craft—outside literary journals you’ve already got the big hitters covered with New Yorker and Atlantic. And since there’s no shortage of exemplary skim-reading material, I recommend, if you’re not already acquainted with them, the Best American Series of books: Short Stories, Essays, Science and Nature Writing, Travel Writing, etc. If you’re looking for a synopsis of good solid wordcraft, there you are.
For my buck, good books will be harder to kill than magazines and newspapers. The experience of reading a book will be harder to substitute through new media venues. I hope books, and the kind of writing we find in good books, save what’s left of our ability to meditate deeply on the ideas we’re presented, to digest broad and nuanced concepts. And I hope that ultimately we don’t completely abandon mindful literature for info bites and skim reading.
By Nick Allen, March 11, 2010 @ 9:17 am
Hey guys – I spend an hour a day reading rss feeds from various sites, and feel I’m getting the news quicker, and its more relevant to me.
I’m hooked on residential architecture, and the fact that ads in many periodicals take up more space than articles does my head in.
One I do keep subscribed to is HOME New Zealand – for a few reasons over nostalgic value, as an expat in UK:
- because its one of the few residential architecture magazines, with real architects reviewing
- they post plans for all houses features
- and focus on modern builds.
One I which I could pick up overseas is Arquitetura Construção from Brazil – also with great plans, and construction tips. Alas, it may be some time before I get back to pick up some new copies.
By Gus, March 11, 2010 @ 4:33 pm
The Atlantic Monthly is a good resource – especially for us design types who need to be more in touch with politics and world events. I say renew!
By Mobius, March 11, 2010 @ 4:38 pm
Esquire Magazine has become so exclusive in the items and people they cover as to render itself useless. What people are doing with the interior of their Lear-jet doesn’t do much for me. I went through a similar exercise and 86′d such magazines years ago.
By Richter, March 11, 2010 @ 4:44 pm
Although it sounds very esoteric, the French magazine L Architecture D Aujourd Hui is a publication that covers good residential built work and does so in a down to earth manner with a focus on details. I believe you can get it in the US.
By Lauren, March 16, 2010 @ 8:10 pm
I too have become addicted to my Google Reader.
I also enjoy the magazine, The Week, which is an easy read with a little bit of everything.