November, 2007:

Remember the Quentin Tarantino movie about a day in the life of hit men, a wife of a gangster, a boxer, a pair of young lovers which all collectively are related to crime? Add to that the unforgettable dance scene of Uma Thurman and John Travolta. The movie even earned Tarantino an Oscar for Best Screenplay and was included in American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest Movies. That critically-acclaimed movie, Pulp Fiction, was actually a homage to the pulp magazine Black Mask, which represents the chaotic, violent, law-breaking character of pulp magazines. The movie actually introduced ‘pulp fiction’ to people unacquainted with the phrase, since pulp magazines and ‘the pulp’ era ended during the ‘50s.

Pulp magazines, pulp fiction, or ‘the pulps’ were cheap fiction magazines commonly published from the 1920s through the 1950s. The term ‘pulp’ was derived from the breakable, high-acid wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. The magazines contain explicit violence and loud, striking cover illustrations. Some well-known characters of pulp fiction, also known as ‘hero pulps’ include Doc Savage, The Shadow and the Phantom Detective. Other regular pulp fiction characters include Buck Rogers, Captain Future, Nick Carter, Secret Agent X, Conan the Barbarian, Flash Gordon, Tarzan, The Avenger, The Spider and Zorro, among others.

Pulp magazines were at the summit of their popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, but during the 1950s, there was a decline due to the rising expenses and the serious competition from television, comic books and paperback novels, until the primary distributor of pulp magazines went bankrupt which marked the end of the ‘pulp era.’

But during the onset of the 21st century, numerous minor independent publishers issued magazines in the custom of the pulp magazines of the first part of twentieth century. One example is McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales, which is a compilation of “pulp fiction” stories written by some recent well-known authors such as Stephen King, Nick Hornby, Aimee Bender, and Dave Eggers.

For a number of magazine enthusiasts, magazine publications are part of their daily reading routine. Besides books shelved in their bookcases at home, you’ll see magazines piled as well in racks and center tables in their living rooms. There are copies in the bedroom, some in the kitchen (most likely cooking and food magazines!), even a few in the bathroom for them to read while nature calls. They are those who frequent bookstores to get themselves copies of their favorite magazines, while others get subscriptions each month.

If you are among those magazine fanatics who get a subscription each month, then WebbyShop Magazine Subscriptions is just perfect for you! There is a wide selection of magazines to choose from, classified in more than twenty categories. There are business and finance magazines, children and family magazines, entertainment magazines, health and fitness, home and garden, news and history, travel, men and women, and plenty more! Name it! Just search for the magazine of your choice or browse the categories and find many fresh and distinguished publications. For this month of November, there are new magazines available, such as Vibrant Life Magazine, British Heritage Magazine, Message Magazine, American Songwriter Magazine, Tattoo Magazine and more. There are also monthly magazine specials including The Green Magazine, Good Housekeeping Light & Healthy Cookbook Magazine, Good Housekeeping Grilling Cookbook Magazine and Good Housekeeping 100 Best One-Dish Meals Cookbook Magazine, Boxoffice Magazine, Watch! Magazine, and Central America Today Magazine Specials, among others.

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Enjoy the madness!

Are you a fan of literature? You love epics, romance stories or novels in general, or you are into a particular form, like comedy or drama/tragedies? Since you love reading literature materials, you are always craving for book reviews and must-read book recommendations. Well, literary magazines might just fit well for you.

Literary magazines are publications dedicated to literature. There are copies that offer short stories, poetry and essays. There are those with such literary works alongside your much coveted book reviews, literary critiques and comments, and even bios and interviews of famous authors.

If in case you are a writer, there are literary magazines which serve as an alternative for such writers to publish their work, those that are not yet established as authors or not yet into the mainstream press.

Literary magazines have been present in the publication scene as early as the 1900s. Poetry Magazine, for one, was founded in 1912 and published T.S. Eliot’s first poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” You most likely know T. S. Eliot or might even be a fan of T. S. Eliot. Just think that he began his career writing in a literary magazine. So if you are aspiring for a career of your own in this field, you can always count on literary magazines to help you.

During the ‘50s, there was a boom in literary magazines, along with the climb of minor press. In the ‘70s, there was again a rise of literary magazine number, including Glimmer Train and Tin House. It was the time of lush meadow for poets.

And now, there are also plenty of online literary magazines like Small Spiral Notebook, Word Riot and thousands of online literary publications where you can go check out and help you feed your interest in literature, or actually serve as a place to showcase your literature flair. (:

There was a time when I went to pick up a friend in her house for an event we’ll be attending. My friend here, happens to move in super slow motion like her clock ticks a second slower than the normal. So an hour would be two hours for her, and so on. I went to her house and she wasn’t prepared yet, so I sat back at their inviting couch to wait. Good thing, beside the couch were racks of magazines, so I got myself some copies to read while killing time in waiting.

Fortunately, they’re a family of magazine readers so there’s variety. I scoured first her girly mags and copies of magazines full of showbiz bits plus plenty of Hollywood posts and paparazzi shots. Looking at showbiz magazines is always amusing. Who wouldn’t get entertained to see stars strutting their stuff and these magazines throwing away gossip treats as sensationalized as ever? I ended after one copy, to keep me from getting smothered with all the tittle-tattles. That time, she just finished her bathroom ritual. So ok, she’s on to the longer part.

There were some news magazines in another rack and plenty of back copies of circulation magazines so I took one to read. Her mom is a long-time subscriber so there were piles. I was able to read a few feature stories and got laughs from humor sections and short article fillers. Then I saw a trivia section called Facts of Life in a copy. Trivia fan as I am, what I did was open all the copies and turn the page to that section, then fed myself with interesting facts of life. I wasn’t able to remember them really though, except for why wedding rings are worn on the third finger (because ancient people believed a nerve directly linked this finger to the heart and putting a ring will stop the contents of the heart from escaping…see, I remember!). I recalled such since it was the last thing I read, because thankfully my sweetest friend was ready to go.

But most thankfully, there were magazines to save my sanity from a lengthy wait! Thanks magazines!