Behind the Scenes from YankeeMagazine.com

Making Memories

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Of all the gifts that the holiday season bestows on us, the most enduring are memories. When our trees are stripped bare, we turn inward, toward hearth and home. The days shorten, and now we come inside for warmth and light. Here we find our memories all swirled together -- almost all of them thoughts of the people we love and the foods we cherish.

When we experience this often enough, we create a tradition, and those traditions weave themselves into our personal histories. The holidays give us this complex mix of excitement, joy -- and yes, at times even exhaustion. We sigh with relief when they end, and soon after sigh again, already missing those too-brief days when those we love were gathered once again around our tables. What we've tried to do in this holiday issue is to give you, our readers, wherever you are, a sense of the tradition, warmth, and giving we all long for.

First, tradition. In December 1982, we published a story about the Wellesley, Massachusetts, Cookie Exchange. We didn't run many recipes then; the article was really about the phenomenon of friends and neighbors sharing their favorite sweets. We ran a short note asking readers to send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope and we'd send back a batch of cookie recipes from the Wellesley women. The envelopes came -- 20,000 strong -- I'll never forget it. Twenty-five years later, we went back to Wellesley and found that the Cookie Exchange has now brought a new generation into its tradition.

Next, warmth. The irony of the holidays is that in these weeks of coming together, many of us are alone, with only the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us. I know once again I'm risking the ire of Edie Clark's faithful readers by nudging her "Mary's Farm" essay (for this issue only!) into the center of the magazine -- what we call the "well." I want to give this graceful excerpt from her new book, Saturday Beans and Sunday Suppers, a place to spread out with the extraordinary illustrations that accompany it. If you know anyone who loves good writing -- writing that warms you as you read -- this is a book you'll want to share.

Lastly, giving. This is the second year we've highlighted a group of New Englanders who represent the best we can be -- ordinary people, our neighbors really, helping others -- not for fame or fortune, but because there's something inside them that says it's right to do so. We call them "angels," and when you meet them here, I hope you'll be encouraged to write us at Yankee and tell us about the angels in your community.

I don't know whether a single issue of a magazine can be a gift, but in these pages we've tried to distill what the holidays mean to us -- and just as opening the door of a loved one's home promises good cheer within, we hope that each page of Yankee brings you special pleasure, and maybe even a memory or two of your own.

Finding Fall in New England

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100

This is my 28th autumn at Yankee. For each of those years, the editors have talked for hours about how to best capture on our pages this most singular of New England's seasons. Can we do it just with photographs? Can words give our readers a sense of the color marching up the hillsides; the morning cold snap that gives way to warm afternoon sun; the startling sight of leaves blowing across our path, putting a bounce in our step?

We know that we need both photographs and words, but more than anything, we decide each year that our readers will let the season tell its own story: as they travel; or as they simply sit and watch these exquisite days unfold; or, if they live outside our region, as they dream about the New England autumn.

Our job is also to remind our readers that fall is much more than a chance to capture peak color. Look again at our cover shot: the glow of autumn on a Peacham, Vermont, hillside. At first glance, you may think our photographer has captured peak color. But notice the soft green of the grass, the sage and celadon hues lingering in the trees still awaiting their turn. If some trees lack fire-engine red -- the prima donna of our colors -- notice instead the variations: the russets, the pale purples, the soft yellows. The magic of a New England fall lies in the shadings -- all the colors in between the exuberant scarlets and crimsons.

This issue is about the shadings of fall. We've found more than 100 ways to get out and enjoy New England's autumn beauty. Start with our rambles through Vermont's Lamoille County. Then lose yourself in the sheer lush color of our photo essay and see which of our 15 suggestions for fall viewing work for you. Get lost in one of the country's great corn mazes, or escape to a Maine wilderness retreat. In between outdoor excursions, make your way to The Farmers Diner in Quechee, Vermont -- then, after sampling Tod Murphy's food, hike into the gorge just up the road. Lastly, I can't think of a time when our popular events calendar will be more useful -- it's crammed with places to go. Just take it all in.

Because fall is much more than seeing. To me, it's the most sensual of all our seasons. It's when we hold our county fairs, harvest suppers, and craft shows, our pumpkin festivals and classic-car rallies. It's when we pick apples and drink freshly pressed cider -- and if we're lucky, the orchards will have hot doughnuts fresh from the deep-fryer. These days are fleeting; we sense the urgency to experience New England's autumn while it lasts. It's our most intimate love affair with nature. Each tree, each bend in the road, each pond, each meadow brings the possibility of something new -- just the way I hope you feel as you turn the pages inside this issue.

Inside the Summer Yankee

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100

If a single sound and a single scent can hold the essence of a New England summer, surely they're the crash of the surf breaking on our shores and the salty tang that hangs in the breeze as you get ever closer to the sea. Nature and geography have bestowed many gifts on our New England states -- none greater than the hundreds of miles of our landscape that hug the Atlantic.

Within the pages of this issue you'll find our ode to the sea in summer. Even if you live miles from the coast, we want to bring the cadence, the smell, the beauty of the ocean to you. Turn the pages and find a selection of unique accommodations by the water in Maine; a Cape Cod town that offers exquisite shopping and history, plus a stretch of gorgeous seashore; a love letter to the Cape that anyone who has vacationed there will recognize; recipes featuring the fish that swim off our shores; even the visceral, literally breathtaking experience of swimming in water so frigid it makes our native surf seem downright balmy.

It's one of life's ironies that some of our most beautiful places also provide an excellent habitat for a creature not much larger than the period at the end of this sentence: the deer tick. Readers who have long loved Edie Clark's "Mary's Farm" column may not know that for years she was one of Yankee's most inspired writers of narrative nonfiction. Her eye for compelling storytelling is evident in her quest to discover the roots of Lyme disease, an illness that once felled her -- and one afflicting so many New Englanders that I know of families who have all but moved indoors, so afraid are they of the tiny arachnid that carries the bacterium. When you finish her story, you'll find yourself more attuned to the risks, but also more aware of what you can do to enjoy a safe and Lyme-free season.

So dig into our summer issue, buy some sunscreen, throw a blanket on the sand, and get as close to the surf as you can. The great essayist Henry Beston, whose splendid Outermost House captured the Cape's raw beauty, once wrote: "The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach."

While those of us living in New England had our fill of rain this past spring, the sound of the sea on a summer day is nature's way of saying, Here's your reward -- now listen.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son, which received the bronze award for best juvenile non-fiction 2006 from ForeWord Magazine.

The Eye of Heather Marcus

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100

As far as I can tell there is nothing especially unusual about the eyes of Heather Marcus, Yankee's photo editor. They are hazel and bright and reflect a keen intelligence. What you can't see when you look in her eyes is the sensibility that allows Heather to pore over hundreds of photographs and then choose the ones that you see in each issue of Yankee. Why is that important?

Writers talk about "voice," a hard-to-define quality that elevates a piece of writing and makes it unique. It's hard to pin down, but you know it when you read it, as if the writer is talking just to you. Photographers and photo editors need their own voice, and we call that having an "eye." An eye for detail, clarity, light, emotion, and the way a great photograph tells a story about people, events, and places.

Each day Heather embarks on something akin to a treasure hunt. And she never knows what will turn up. A few days ago she sent me an e-mail about a young photographer's work. I could sense her excitement behind the words. She might as well have yelled, "Eureka!" She had come across a photographer she had not known about before, who was creating spectacular images of a New England island. It was the same excitement when she found the photos of the Isles of Shoals that to me are the visual highlight of our January/February Yankee. You'll see the results of Heather's newest treasure hunt later this year.

We pride ourselves on our ability to bring New England's seasons into your home. The photos that Heather uncovers and the photographers that she assigns are at the heart of that effort. Right now, Heather's eye for detail is fixated on how to capture the essence of winter in a single image. A photographer stopped by last week with a unique idea for a winter project. He got the go-ahead and, in a few months, Heather will be at the light table looking for those bits of treasure.

No, there is nothing remarkable about the eyes of Heather Marcus -- but her EYE, well, I think it's special indeed.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

8 Things for Readers to Do

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100

An editor needs readers, of course, because without readers there's no magazine. But beyond the obvious, Yankee's editors look forward to hearing from you, our readers, because for a long time you've been key contributors to our pool of ideas. So many times I've opened letters and found this line: "I want to tell you about..." And then I learn about a person, or a place, or a wonderful event or ritual that in time becomes a great Yankee story.

The new Yankee offers so many ways for you to send us your ideas. Here's a brief rundown:

1. "Dear Yankee." Write us your thoughts on stories we've published. It's one more way we form a magazine community. You can mail us at "Dear Yankee," Yankee Magazine, 1121 Main St., Dublin, NH 03444, or contact us by e-mail at editor@YankeeMagazine.com.

2. "Speaking My Mind." Right here on our home page -- where you're reading this column -- you'll see a question that relates to New England, and we want to know your opinion. Click on "submit a comment," and in each issue we'll publish some of your feedback.

3. "Here in New England." For my own front-of-the-book column, I'm always looking for the best New England stories I can find. Over my many years at Yankee, some of my favorites have originated with readers telling me about a neighbor, or about some special happening in their town. Tell me the best New England story you know by sending an e-mail to editor@YankeeMagazine.com or you can write me directly at Yankee's Dublin offices (see the address above).

4. "Yankee Swopper." This ageless favorite was way ahead of its time when it made its debut more than 70 years ago. If you have items to swop with fellow readers, write to "Swopper" at Yankee's address above. To submit a swop online, go to www.yankeemagazine.com/swops/.

5. "Yankee Kitchen." Have you got a question about food or preparation techniques? This is the place to ask. Just go to our food page and click on "Submit a Question to Yankee Kitchen."

6. "How'd They Do That?" This column about the most intriguing home projects New Englanders are working on is bound to grow into a reader favorite. We'll be counting on hearing from you about your own projects or those of your friends. Let Polly Bannister know about your best projects by mail at "How'd They Do That?" (use the Yankee address above), or by e-mail to editor@YankeeMagazine.com.

7. "Best Cook in Town." Another sure-fire reader favorite! We want to hear about the best home chef in your community and why you think so. Write to "Best Cook" (use the Yankee address above) or send your suggestions to editor@YankeeMagazine.com.

8. "Pairings." We call this "a puzzle for people who know New England" because all the clues relate to famous New Englanders or famous New England happenings. We've already had well over 500 responses to our first puzzle and look forward to your answers in the issues ahead. Send your solutions to "Pairings" (use the Yankee address above) or submit them online at YankeeMagazine.com. I welcome your ideas for future puzzles -- send them along to editor@YankeeMagazine.com.

So there you go -- at least eight different ways for you to interact with us here and, in a way, to interact with all of our other readers. I hope to hear from each and every one of you!

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

Lunch With the Traveler's Friend

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100

One of the most fun parts of this work is meeting with writers. I can't think of anything more important than finding, cultivating, and continuing to motivate the best writers in New England. The writer and editor relationship, when it works, is not unlike a friendship -- you count on each other to bring out the best of each of you. Let me give you an example.

One recent Friday I had lunch in Peterborough with one of my favorite writers. Her name is Christina Tree, and if you are a wise New England traveler you probably have her books tucked away in your shelves, ready to be read before your next sojourn. Her Explorer's Guides to the New England states are the standard by which I judge all New England guide books. She's been crisscrossing our region (and many regions of the world) for nearly 40 years. Think of that. Think of the tens of thousands of miles, the tens of thousands of meals, of nights spent in B&Bs, country inns, swanky hotels, rustic cottages -- all in the pursuit of learning all she can so her readers can follow confidently in her footsteps. And this is what amazes me each time I talk with Chris: Her enthusiasm has never wavered.

She drove the 80 miles from Boston to talk with me about a few projects we have percolating. She has been a stalwart contributor to Yankee over my many years here, and somehow her ideas are always fresh. I think I know the region like the back of my hand, and then Chris tells me about places I never knew about. When travel writing seems to have no purpose except to point you to a restaurant and then to a bed, it may be useful, but it is not inspired. What Chris does foremost is inspire her readers about a place, the below-the-surface nature of the place and its people -- and then she takes you by the hand and introduces you to the best food, lodgings, and attractions. She understands better than most that we travel first to a place; a place is always at the heart of travel. If you had seen us at the restaurant, you would have seen two people both writing furiously and smiling as we tossed ideas back and forth, all the while Chris's seafood pie cooling because she was just too excited telling me about yet another wonder I should have known about but did not.

You'll see the results of Chris's cold lunch in this upcoming July/August issue, and then once again a few months later. I guarantee you'll want to pack the car and follow her.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

'Best Cook' Began in Maine

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100

The first story I published in Yankee was about a potato farmer's wife from Aroostook County, Maine. Her name was Avis Dudley. The year was 1977, and Avis Dudley's homestead had become a local landmark in northern Maine.

During the fall potato harvest, her husband's hired hands would crowd into Avis's dining room and be served these wonderful caramel rolls and all the meat, potatoes, vegetables, and pies they could handle before going back to the fields. When her husband died, Avis did not fold her tent. She took her genuine, hearty, down-home farm cooking to the public.

Her story and recipes became the first in a 20-plus-year Yankee tradition -- a series we called Great New England Cooks. Over the years, I wrote about a number of these locally notable cooks: Nellie Reed from Owl's Head, Maine, whose chicken-pie suppers helped build a firehouse; Judy Marsh, the wife of a game warden whose specialty -- of course -- was wild game; Helen Burns from Amherst, New Hampshire, who was chosen to prepare lunch for President Gerald Ford when he came through the state; and many others.

What made all these stories special was that they were all ordinary New Englanders with an extraordinary gift in the kitchen. They were the people you most wanted to drop by the potluck supper.

One of the first things I wanted to do when I became Yankee's editor was to once again celebrate the culinary gifts of our neighbors. We call it Best Cook in Town. I couldn't think of a better writer for this section than one of the best cooks in the Monadnock region -- Edie Clark.

Edie's loyal readers know her, of course, for Mary's Farm, her long-running ode to the pleasures and travails of country life. But to her friends, she is a delightful cook and hostess, and her food mirrors her writing -- simple, yet elegant, and always memorable.

NOMINATE A COOK

Now here's where you come in. Edie wants to know about the Best Cooks in your town. Be sure to let her know by submitting your suggestions online, along with a description of your favorite local cook's food, to Best Cook. Or write to us at "Best Cook," Yankee Magazine, 1121 Main St., Dublin, NH 03444. With your help we can begin a new Yankee tradition.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

What You Like (and Don't) in March/April

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100

Our March/April issue is now on sale where magazines are sold, and subscribers have had a head start in reading the issue -- so it is time to open the mail and see what readers think:

Can you stand more feedback about Yankee's new format? I was first introduced to Yankee Magazine when I was 15 years old. My father was in New England Baptist Hospital recovering (successfully) from cancer surgery and issues of Yankee were available in many of the rooms, ready to help family members while away the tedium of hospital visits. I developed a special nostalgia for all things New England from those days nearly 40 years ago. No matter what size the print, quality of the paper, or dimension of the publication, nothing brings New England to me more than Yankee Magazine.Thanks.
Diane Piper, Westfield, Massachusetts
Editor's note: Feeling good, a good start.

You mentioned in the last issue that you've heard a lot about moving "Mary's Farm" to the "front-ish" part of the magazine, on page 16, after 11 glossy advertisement pages and other fluff. What may be lost on you is that Yankee is a paper magazine and that "Mary's Farm" was easily folded back to be left open. It is (was), in fact, the cover of Yankee Magazine as far as I'm concerned. Now Yankee's slick and glossy cover glares at me, to be slid easily out of sight under all the similar covers on my table. Put "Mary's Farm" back where it belongs. It was the only thing I consistently read in your magazine and I'm not inclined to hunt for it. You are losing it, Yankee.
Andrew Kuether, Northampton, Massachusetts
Editor's note: I'm starting to think my obituary will begin, "Mel Allen, who moved Mary's Farm off the last page…"

Your "puff piece" on Senator Olympia Snowe is misleading. It paints a more heroic picture (the article consists entirely of quotes by the senator) than reality indicates. If she were really in the mold of Margaret Chase Smith, she would have been more than a maverick. Senator Chase would have declared herself independent from the Republican Party. Senator Snowe's victory margin in 2006 is misleading, too. The Democratic Party leadership held back on its support of the party's candidate, conceding the election. Otherwise, the vote total for Snowe would have been closer to 59 percent. She is, at bottom, another "enabler" for Dubya Bush. Time will tell.

Meantime, Yankee Magazine ought to stay away from mere "puff pieces" if it is to be seen as being on the cutting edge of reporting accuracy.
Dick Bernard, South Portland, Maine
Editor's note: The Olympia Snowe interview is one of a series we call "The Big Question." They are all in the first person, so rather than being a puff piece, it's more like hearing someone -- in this case Senator Snowe, last issue Bode Miller, and the many people ahead -- talk about their lives and passions.

Your article, "Secret Places", shows the beauty of the Quabbin reservation. Hidden beneath pictures and words lie the four doomed towns where 2,500 inhabitants were forced to relocate and 7,561 bodies to be reinterred in other cemeteries. The Quabbin Reservoir was created to provide a large source of water to meet the present and future demands of Boston and surrounding towns. All signs of human habitation had to be eradicated to accomplish construction of the reservoir. Four towns were sacrificed in the Swift River Valley to create the largest domestic water supply in the world.

The love and history of this area is preserved by the Swift River Valley Historical Association. My paternal grandparents lived in Greenwich (one of the flooded towns) and raised five children. The sacrifice of all the inhabitants will not be forgotten. This was an early act of Eminent Domain that shows the power of law to devastate lives and this practice is becoming more prevalent in our country today.
Virginia Hall, Boulder, Colorado
Editor's Note: We have written compelling stories in the past about the human cost of creating Quabbin Reservoir. This story focused on its visual beauty and the work of Paul Rezendes, one of New England's best nature photographers.

I think I enjoy Edie Clark's column most of all in your magazine, but "Peace Log" had me hooting with laughter. Whenever we vacationed in Bar Harbor, we would always read the police log in the weekly newspaper there. I will never forget one entry I saw over a decade ago about a possible stolen car. It turned out that the car had been borrowed by a ship's cook, and "the cook had permission to drive the diesel Peugeot," it read at the end. Such a level of detail in a police report astounded me! But more than this, it notified us that if anyone saw a diesel Peugeot being driven by a stranger, there was no need for alarm. I can't imagine any of the media being so helpful these days.
Roslyn Reid

The piece by Thom Rock (baby boy 3331) was pretty difficult for me to read. My mother gave up a baby for adoption in 1944. My half brother, Joe, contacted me 15 years ago! He was on a search for his birth mother and birth family. The story has a very happy ending, thank God. I wish the best for the author!
Corinne Roberts

I was also adopted out of Boston when I was 6 weeks old. Always knew it, for was given the book The Chosen Baby by Valentina. P. Wasson. (Probably out of print by now.) When I was 50 I received a letter from HEW Dept. of Social Services saying IF I was so in so and IF my parents were, then someone was looking for me. (I'm now almost 62.) I called and come to find out, I had a sister and two brothers. Our mother never married which was unheard of in the 1940s. She kept a brother to pass on the family name and he never had children. Still very close to my sister. I was brought up as an only child so it's still rather strange having siblings.
Judy Baird

My heart was so touched by Thom Rock's story "Baby Boy #3331." I'm still dabbing away the tears. Both my parents were my birth parents and they were wonderful and loving and we had a great life. My dad died of cancer when I was young. Mr. Rock wrote so beautifully about his birth mom and the situation. I hope one day he finds Rosalie and the circle can be completed for both of them. Sincerely, a real Yankee fan.
Donna Skjeveland, Holbrook, New York

I was deeply moved by Thom's letter to Rosalie. Although he was given a wonderful childhood and upbringing by his adoptive parents, it is clear to see that he has unresolved issues with his birth mother. I truly hope that his wish comes true and that somehow Rosalie will contact him.
Elizabeth Lapointe, Danvers, Massachusetts

As a recent subscriber to Yankee, I groaned when it suddenly arrived in its upsized, upscaled format. It looks a lot like another glossy ex-magazine, New England Monthly, which glossified its way to bankruptcy, in spite of its great writing.
No name submitted

I have been a Yankee subscriber, it seems, since the earth just started to get round. It is always a joy when your latest edition arrives at the house, and now more than ever! Not to worry; I can find Ms. Clark's column wherever you choose to put it and I like the new paper you are using. Further, I think the new size is a stroke of genius. Being a male 78-year-old, I never did tuck away my copies in my purse, but they did seem to get lost among my stack of grown-up sized magazines. If Henry Ford had given up tinkering we could all still be driving a Model T, so I say keep tinkering, Mr. Allen! My feeling is if the old saying about "if it ain't broke" were really true, (if you can stand another simile) we'd still be using carbon paper. Nice work, Yankee!
Robin Bonneau, Manchester, New Hampshire

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

Anatomy of a Story

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100

Every good story I have ever read, or written, always starts the same way: with curiosity. Without an intense need to ask questions, to understand, to know the lives of others, there may well be words on a page, but I doubt they would resonate with readers.

"Fire on the Farm" -- my column in the March/April Yankee about the Bachelder family in Epsom, New Hampshire, who should have simply shut down their farm, sold their land and dairy herd, and gone on to other things, like so many hundreds of small dairy farmers in the past 20 years -- began on a night in late fall when I spread dozens of New England newspapers on a table and began reading. But here is what I saw.

I would put this region's newspapers up against those of any region in America. Our cities tend to be smaller, so the newspaper coverage is more intimate. One of the best of the small city newspapers is New Hampshire's Concord Monitor. Its circulation is roughly 20,000, and I don't know of any paper its size anywhere whose use of photography makes such an impact. It was a photo of Keith Bachelder in his barn that caught my eye.

When I skim dozens of papers, looking for the raw material that may one day become a column or a longer feature, my eye must be drawn to a story quickly. Too many pages, not enough time. The photographer had come in close on the cows, and I started reading. I found out about the fire that had devastated the family farm, and the desire of neighbors to help them rebuild. I wanted to know more.

I drove out for the first time on a lovely Saturday. Keith's mother, Ruth, proved a writer's dream. She is a born storyteller, and it was as if she had waited to simply tell the story -- not of the fire, but of the family, about her roots as a farm girl, about her courtship with her husband, Charles, all those years ago. "He was a farm boy. I was a farm girl," she began. And I was hooked.

I wish you had all been there in her country kitchen as she talked about the utter joy of working from dawn to dusk, fighting to keep a little farm going. I had not known very much about the plight of the small New England dairy farmer when I entered Ruth's home, but when I left, I felt, once again, why this work is so rewarding and special. For a few hours this day, and then for a few more hours when I returned shortly after, I was allowed to step inside the lives of total strangers. I had entered their world, their struggles, their hopes.

Until Ruth and her daughter Sarah talked to me, I had never realized how the huge corporate dairy farms in the West make it all but impossible for the traditional New England farmer to compete. There are dairy farms in Idaho, Sarah told me, with thousands of cows. She and her family were milking fewer than 40.

A hard life, Ruth said over and over, but one she would never trade. She talked about standing in the middle of the road on a spring evening and hollering that dinner was ready, watching her two daughters and two sons run from the barn where they'd been playing. And how all her children's friends wanted to come for dinner because of the farm-fresh cooking.

Telling their story is why Yankee will always be a part of this New England landscape. The Bachelders are important. They matter. I hope when you read about them you'll understand why.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.

You'll See More Changes

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:00:00 +0100

The March/April issue arrived here at Yankee Publishing a few days ago. Up until the time I can actually hold it in my hand, the issue is more a collection of separate pages, separate galleys that I see day after day posted on the wall of our conference room. Seeing a magazine take shape that way, it is easy to lose sight of the overall impact. Seeing photographs or videos of a place does not compare with actually being there and smelling, tasting, seeing everything firsthand. Seeing a magazine on a wall is a bit like that. You need more.

A magazine is meant to be held, the pages turned one by one. So when a new Yankee arrives, it is a big deal. Even though I've read every word so many times, it actually seems as if I am experiencing it for the first time. As I slowly turn the pages, these are my impressions.

The cover: We changed the cover weight, and that extra heft makes quite a difference. In a lot of things we do in life, it is easy, in hindsight, to say, "I wish we had done this differently." Putting together Yankee is no different. I wish we had used this cover weight with the January/February issue. Now it just feels right. Sturdy and substantial. Problem solved. I'm guessing I'll be hearing soon from a number of readers who don't like the cover design I chose. That's OK. The art of selecting and planning covers is highly subjective. I wanted it to catch the eye, to convey the spirit of the time when spring is so tantalizingly close that it seems just beyond our door. The actual field scene is from Maine, but the feeling of welcoming spring is universal.

Printing quality: Everyone immediately noticed this. The ink is so clean and black, it makes everything just pop so much stronger. As a college student, I worked two summers on mammoth printing presses, but I never really learned the intricacies of how the best print masters manipulated presses and ink (I mostly kept paper stocks filled and scurried around bringing supplies to all the printers). The printers on this issue must be proud of their work.

Captions: Carefully researched, carefully crafted captions are essential to memorable magazines. Our captions in the January/February issue had great content, but were simply printed in too small a type size. Now the captions are even better, plus they are bigger and bolder. They are meant to be read, and now you will be able to more easily.

We planned this Yankee so that as you turn the pages, you will feel the sunny days entering your home. At the same time, I hope you are entertained and moved, and that you find interesting stuff to do in the weeks ahead. I hope that you to come to the end of this issue and want to start at the beginning again. Turn the pages with me for a few minutes as I highlight some of our stories.

As I write this, the Boston Red Sox are off to Florida for spring training--the right time for us to explore where Red Sox Nation actually began. Tens of thousands of New Englanders love birds, and our New England's Finest pages show you how some of our local artisans have combined art with bird-watching. Our Local Treasure lets you discover the most unique flowers in the world, and our antiques page introduces you to a woman who painted spring. If you are lucky enough to have discovered her some years back, you may have a small fortune hanging in your living room and not even know it.

We take you inside the home of Jan Brett, one of America's most loved children's writers and illustrators. And it's more than a house tour--you'll actually see her pages come to life right in her home. Our travel section shows how you can find adventure where you might never have looked.

One of the most commonly held dreams of people is to have a second career as a chef. Our food pages not only give you recipes from New England's most noted culinary schools, but they also tell you where you can go away for a weekend and combine a mini-vacation with learning a new food specialty. Our Best Cook in Town is a gracious woman who was born in Greece and brings the love of her homeland into her kitchen.

New England's wild areas call so many of us to explore its streams and woods and mountains, yet one of New England's finest wilderness photographers shows you a wild area many readers never think about exploring. It is located only an hour and a half from these Dublin offices, yet when I did a quick poll of my colleagues, only two had ever actually trekked there. I think once you see the photos you'll be ready to take out the hiking shoes.

The story I believe many readers will pass along to family and friends is Thom Rock's personal journey to find his birth mother. I have a feeling that this story may be the beginning of his journey, not the end.

There are many more pages to experience, and soon the issue will also be in your homes. Let me know what the experience of settling in with the March/April Yankee is like for you. I hope it truly puts spring into your step.

Mel Allen is editor of Yankee Magazine and author of A Coach's Letter to His Son.