This is our second new-look issue. It is the same idea, but more: more photos, more color, more ads . . . more better.
And speaking of more, we have lots more initiatives to announce.
Just after our magazine relaunch, we moved our offices back to MIT’s political science department, where we had been from 1996–2006. We are pleased to be back with old friends, and we are collaborating on an exciting project—a public lecture series, Ideas Matter.
Our first event extended the conversation about “Democracy after Citizens United” that started in the September/October issue. Allison Hayward, MIT’s Gabriel Lenz, and John Bonifaz joined Lawrence Lessig in a lively debate about campaign-finance reform. Special thanks to Contributing Editor Stephen Ansolabehere for moderating, and to Richard Locke, chair of political science at MIT, for enabling and supporting Ideas Matter.
By the time you have this issue in your hands, a video of that event will be available on Boston Review’s Web site. And you will be able to see the other Ideas Matter discussions as well: on Iraq and national security policy; immigration; and technology and global poverty, the topic of our forum in this issue.
The videos will be just one of many new features on our Web site, which is scheduled for a major upgrade early in 2011. David Johnson, who joined us in August as Web editor, is shepherding the new site along. Coming most recently from Columbia Journalism Review, Harper’s Magazine, and San Francisco magazine, David brings experience in investigative journalism (as a writer and editor) and a background in philosophy. Attracted to BR’s mix of ideas and public-interest journalism, David says, “I look forward to bringing the thoughtfulness and passion of the print magazine to the relaunched Web site. ”
This month we also welcome Daniel Pritchard, who joins us as marketing and promotions manager. Daniel previously was with the independent publishing house David R. Godine and is publisher and editor of the online journal The Critical Flame.
And then there are our books, just released: Michael Mastrandrea and the late Stephen Schneider on climate change, and Joseph Carens on immigrants and the right to stay. In the spring we’ll have Eliot Spitzer’s book on the role of government in the market.
As you can see, we are working hard to bring you serious discussion of important issues. We hope you’ll join the community: come to one of our events; watch them on our Web site; let us know what you think. If you like what you read and see, if you agree with us that ideas matter, then help spread the word about BR: give a gift subscription this holiday season.
