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KQED's Forum

The Resurrection of “The Believer”

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2726 Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 2003, McSweeney’s, the San Francisco-based literary quarterly, published the first issue of a new monthly magazine called “The Believer.” The graphic-rich journal focused on elevating new writers, publishing poetry, long-form journalism and quirky stories and was nominated for a raft of magazine awards. But hard times led to its sale, and through various twists and turns, the magazine’s website was sold to a media company that tried to turn it into a less than literary clickbait factory. This story, however, has a happy ending that is a new beginning: After a successful Kickstarter campaign, McSweeney’s has bought back “The Believer.” We’ll talk to the editors about the first new issue, and what they hope for the magazine’s resurrection. Guests: Vendela Vida, founding editor, The Believer; author of six books, including "We Run the Tides," "Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name" and "The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty;" founding board member, 826 Valencia. Heidi Julavits, founding editor, The Believer; author of "The Folded Clock: A Diary," as well as four critically acclaimed novels; co-editor, New York Times bestseller "Women in Clothes;" her memoir, "Directions to Myself," is forthcoming in 2023. Daniel Gumbiner, editor, The Believer; Gumbiner's first book, "The Boatbuilder," was nominated for the National Book Award and a finalist for the California Book Awards. Ed Park, founding editor, The Believer; author, "Personal Days" and forthcoming "Same Bed Different Dreams." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Support for KGBD podcasts comes from Landmark College, offering a fully online graduate level certificate in learning differences in neurodiversity program.

0:09.8

Visit landmark.edu slash certificate to learn more.

0:13.9

Greetings boomtown.

0:15.3

The Xfinity Wi-Fi is booming.

0:17.6

Xfinity combines the power of internet and mobile.

0:20.8

So we've all got lightning fast speeds at home

0:22.8

and on the go!

0:24.3

Learn more at Xfinity.com.

0:26.2

Restrictions apply. Xfinity, Internet required.

0:28.0

Actual speeds vary.

0:30.3

From KQD in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.

0:46.5

Rejoice, the believer, the esteemed literary magazine, is back in San Francisco.

0:51.4

In 2003, when we first met our hero, the magazine was a brilliant publication

0:55.7

with all the beauty of youth. And what a run it had, publishing a fantastic array of writers,

1:01.0

spawning imitators, making careers. But a few years back, it fell on hard times, as many of us

1:06.0

do in middle age, and moved out to Nevada, got bought and sold, had an embarrassing Zoom

1:10.6

nudity incident, and seemed to die, had an embarrassing Zoom nudity incident,

1:11.7

and seemed to die and not with dignity.

1:14.2

But then, a great outpouring of love and also American currency arrived.

1:18.8

The magazine experienced a great resurrection, launching its first new issue yesterday.

1:23.8

We'll talk with the founders and current editor of The Believer.

1:38.8

Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. To the writers I came up with in the late a late Otts, the Believer was already a towering publication that we revered. They actually

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