The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-08
BY w. p. kIrkwoo,d.

JoURNEYINGs AMONG THE MAGA-
ZINES. JOURNEY NO. e.-New York.
Mafch 5-Behind the name of every mag
azlne IS distinct personality. The pub.
TIC sees very little Of this personality,
put 1t Is always there with every maya
zine OF distinctive qualities. One is sur
prlsed at the effectiveness with which
these personalities show thru the make
up OF their magazines, once one gets ac-
quainted with the men. The more i'm
portant magazines indeed are material
expressions Of their editors. No better
illustration of this is seen than in the ca Sc
OF The American illustrated Magazine, at
the editorial helm Of which is Mr. Ellery
SedgW1ck. Mr.. Sedgwick greets visitor
IN thoroly American fashion;,;he is direct
and straightforward. and expects his Wis
| 1tor to be the same
The usual courtesies having been ex-
changed and preliminaries gotten out Of
the way, at my request Mr. sSedgwick
| talked Of his zine. It is; unavoidable,
ne said, that magazine should be an
| expression of the editor'sa interests; and
| the American Magazine, aside from it's
| fiction, is an expression of the composite
personality of the three or four men on
the editorial staff in this office Even
the fiction, which is a matter Of selection,
/ represents their choice. shows their pref
|
1 Of serial tales. 2 .}~s.-s ~. s-... 49, -.
This personality Of. the magazine edi-
tor Is becoming more and more a guild
ing influence in national thought and pur-
pose. The printed page has not lost it's
power OF suggestion, and the weight of
suggestion thru thoughtfully edited mag
az1nes is manifesting2 a growing inf1u-
ence.- -..@4 - "a ~ ,tI,'. -, :,
There in brief is the feeling Of Mr..
SedgWick toward his position .and toward
his profession. r-1ta = pE~'1.a. 49,
Mr.. Sedgwick called attention to an in
teresting thing in the art of magazine
making, which shows the changing :atti-
! tude of. editors toward their products.
lie quoted Mr.. Scudder, predecessor of
Ellss Perry In the editorship of the At
| fantic Monthly, to make his point Mr..
Scudder once said to him:E'I have never
solicited an article for the Atlantic. I
would consider it beneath the dignity of
the magazine for me, as it's editor to do
such, thing" Contrast with the posi-
| ton of Mr.. Scudder that of almost, any
modern magazine editor and the wide
difference that divides the modern art
of magazine making from the old is at
once seen. Magazine1 editors these days
make 1T a business, not only to solicit
articles. but to go hunting for them. An
other New York editor said to- me the
other day: "A magazine: editor has nc
business to- stay, in his office. He must
be out and away over the field looking
for material Mr.. =, Sedgwick put the
same idea in the statement that an editor
can get into rut Just as easily in New
York city as he can In a country town on
La country weekly. Mr.. Sedgwick has a
fondness for the west, and often in the
northwest or southwest seeks release
from New York ruts, which fact probably
accounts for the breeziness and freshness
of his magazine, as well as for its. .thorc
Americanism. ~ 1...,....:
1t may be said in CLOSING that MI
4 Scudder's views of the dignity. ofthe, At.
lantic quoted above have undergone q
considerable change ia recent years. bu1
l shall have more to say Of the Atlantic
later - $685. -t.:t 49, 80.