Mags I Miss

As you know, Birdies, I have a general fondness for magazines. I love books too, of course, but there is nothing quite like a magazine, especially after a long work week. My obsession started long ago, with a little magazine called Sassy. It was sixth grade. I deemed myself too old for poster-filled celebrity magazines like Big Bopper, and found myself drawn to the teen magazine rack. There I discovered Sassy, an almost-edgy teen magazine co-founded by Jane Pratt.

Instantly I was hooked. The magazine was like a window into my future as a teenager...fashion stories, advice on dating, how to deal with adolescent life. Not to mention unique features like a page every month where readers could have their material published. I still remember one fateful evening when my mom caught me reading an article about teenage S-E-X and confiscated the magazine. This of course, only made me love it more. I remained a loyal reader until the magazine was absorbed by 'Teen magazine in 1996. I still read 'Teen, but it just wasn't the same.

Just how good was Sassy? Its popularity has made a resurgence as of late, with old issues selling on e-bay like hot cakes, and bloggers like Tavi Gevinson of The Style Rookie dedicating posts to its pages.

The void that Sassy left in my heart was filled when Jane Pratt launched Jane magazine in the late 1990s. Jane was like Sassy for grown ups...and it's probably the only magazine that's ever made me laugh out loud. The writing was funny, and gave a fresh twist to stories on beauty, fashion and celebrities. There was something lighthearted about this magazine that didn't take itself too seriously. I've yet to find another one like it. Check out a 1990s Drew Barrymore on the cover of the premiere issue:

Unfortunately, Jane ended its run in 2007, but I still have hope that Ms. Pratt will come through again. A little while ago on her blog, Tavi announced that she and Jane were working on launching a new magazine...I can't wait to see what they come up with.