RIP, JANE

Shocking news- JANE magazine will print its last issue this August.

Or... not so shocking?



JANE used to be be the only magazine I read from front to back, each and every line. I loved that each writer's personality was portrayed through their writing. The staff became characters in my mind and I anticipated their next move. Gigi was my favorite. I missed her when she left. But greats like Katy McColl, Stefanie Trong, Annemarie Conte, Erin Flaherty, Esther Haynes, Joshua Lyon and Jeff kept things going. (OK, actually I liked it better when there was an actual music editor).

Then founder, Jane Pratt, left JANE. Things were never the same. My subscription ended and I never renewed it. Issues would arrive at my door and live lifelessly on my desk, having only been flipped through once. Maybe it's because I got too busy living life to read about other people's. Or, the magazine just lost its magic.

I was excited when former Teen People (also RIP) staffer, Laura Morgan went over to JANE. But unfortunately, now matter which magazine she stayed out would have made a difference. They both had the same fate.

Rumor has it that JANE won't even reside online. That's a devastatingly cruel fate. At least archive the articles for future 20-something women to look up to!!

I was excited to see Zooey on the cover of a magazine. What other publication would be brave enough to do that?

Bauer publishing was slated to launch Cocktail, a magazine for 20-something women. It got shut down before employees even got a full day's work in! Chickens. How is anything great going to revolutionize the world if no one takes risks. Publishers should go sit down with label A&R reps and have a little "we suck" party.

And there's all excitement for Fashionista Diaries on SoapNet. I was so excited for that.

Back when Planet Verge first started, JANE was my muse. I tried to inject personal tidbits about our staff to help our audience feel connected to us. I dreamed of one day working a JANE.

Today, I work at The Musician's Atlas. Updating our database on press is upsetting. So many magazines are getting shut down, or dropping in circulation.

I used to be frustrated when Planet Verge never became totally huge or picked up by a major distributor. But now I'm ok with it. It's a bad time for print. And a bad time for music. And I'm a part of both so wish me luck! lol

Seriously, let's all appreciate what JANE magazine did for women-kind. Here's to hoping that someday, we can all get back that feeling of holding a brand new issue is our bands for the first time when we pick up another magazine.

*By Joelle, who writes little blurbs like this after her name because she loves that JANE did it