Indeed, s he says the magazine's crusty-sounding name is, in fact, a rakish jab at intellectual elitists who take themselves too seriously. That said, though, The American Scholar is decidedly not edited for the Maxim crowd. The magazine totals 160 pages every issue and in appearance resembles less a magazine than a paperback book, with pieces sometimes running more than 60 pages. And we will never capitulate to the sound bite. Short, long, serious, funny.
Subjects range from highbrow fodder to quirky topics like supermarkets, jigsaw puzzles and boxing.
Other magazines write about what s cool today and dead tomorrow. We talk about things that are cool today and alive tomorrow. Both Fadiman and The American Scholar have been nominated before. The magazine won an award two years ago for feature writing and was also nominated for general excellence that same year. Fadiman says the magazine is sustained by a slew of part-time editors, who also work diligently for small salaries.