The Gossamer Pleasures of Faerie Magazine
November 24, 2015 11:46 AM Subscribe
I would argue that Faerie endeavors to cultivate in readers a quality of attention that registers the most diminutive details, that perceives the world as though under a spell. (SLNYT)
In an article about throwing ‘‘a magical midsummer night’s dream party,’’ the writer suggests inscribing guests’ names on ‘‘small leaves, bark, or beautiful pieces of fruit like green apples or small Japanese eggplants.’’ And in a homage to green tea, editor at large Laren Stover writes, ‘‘If you have a glass teapot, you can watch the pearls release and open like magical tendrils, mermaid’s hair or seaweed unfurling, deepening the water to emerald green.’’ This state of amplified, granular awareness, in which time slows as you watch the ‘‘undulating ballet in your teapot,’’ is one I have otherwise only achieved with psychedelic drugs.
In an article about throwing ‘‘a magical midsummer night’s dream party,’’ the writer suggests inscribing guests’ names on ‘‘small leaves, bark, or beautiful pieces of fruit like green apples or small Japanese eggplants.’’ And in a homage to green tea, editor at large Laren Stover writes, ‘‘If you have a glass teapot, you can watch the pearls release and open like magical tendrils, mermaid’s hair or seaweed unfurling, deepening the water to emerald green.’’ This state of amplified, granular awareness, in which time slows as you watch the ‘‘undulating ballet in your teapot,’’ is one I have otherwise only achieved with psychedelic drugs.
So Laren Stover, the editor of this magazine, is.... kind of awesome? As a teenager I somehow ended up with a copy of The Bombshell Manual of Style which I paged through obsessively (seemingly incongruous for someone who just now at 28 is basically learning how makeup works, but I was also obsessed with Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, so, whatever), and then I noticed that Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (another obsession at the time) is dedicated to "Laren Elizabeth Stover, who passed him fragrance-industry secrets in lipsticked envelopes," and recently I found out she also wrote about bohemians, and melancholy, and on all these subjects (well, maybe not the bohemians, although I wouldn't be surprised) she manages to work in a long digression on perfume that somehow ties in perfectly to the topic at hand. So yeah, I stumbled upon Faerie Magazine after someone posted that The Case for Melancholy article on Facebook, I thought it was in her bio but I don't see it now so maybe I just googled her?
Anyway, my point is, this writer and her weird perfume obsession make me want to read about any topic she writes about, and now I really want to get my hands on a copy of Faerie.
As I perused page after page, I began to form an image of the Faerie reader as the sort of crafty, romantic woman who decants her own herb-infused oils and stores them in jars of amber glass on her windowsill. She designs her own wrapping paper. She knits hats that end in animal ears. She has a tarot deck, a crush on Neil Gaiman and a worldview she’d describe as rose-colored.
This seems so... 90s to me. And I mean that as the utmost compliment. I want to be this woman. I am personally more of a mermaid girl, but... whee!
posted by sunset in snow country at 12:34 PM on November 24, 2015
Anyway, my point is, this writer and her weird perfume obsession make me want to read about any topic she writes about, and now I really want to get my hands on a copy of Faerie.
As I perused page after page, I began to form an image of the Faerie reader as the sort of crafty, romantic woman who decants her own herb-infused oils and stores them in jars of amber glass on her windowsill. She designs her own wrapping paper. She knits hats that end in animal ears. She has a tarot deck, a crush on Neil Gaiman and a worldview she’d describe as rose-colored.
This seems so... 90s to me. And I mean that as the utmost compliment. I want to be this woman. I am personally more of a mermaid girl, but... whee!
posted by sunset in snow country at 12:34 PM on November 24, 2015
This FPP seems related to the one about Enya's new album. Now all we need is an FPP about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab tomorrow.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:09 PM on November 24, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:09 PM on November 24, 2015 [6 favorites]
Of course, faerie awareness is hardly a recent phenomenon.
I'll say. I've spent my entire life identifying faerie changlings, and there are more of them than you might expect. They mention Allan Cumming in the article, and, yes, he is one, but so is Martin Short and Barry Manilow. Quite a few weather forecasters are faeries, and so I am convinced they actually make the weather and then pretend to forecast it, the tricksy buggers.
I used to wonder if I might also be an faerie changling, as when I was a boy I had fine features, but as I have aged I have come to realize that I am a sentient potato sculpture.
posted by maxsparber at 1:10 PM on November 24, 2015 [12 favorites]
I'll say. I've spent my entire life identifying faerie changlings, and there are more of them than you might expect. They mention Allan Cumming in the article, and, yes, he is one, but so is Martin Short and Barry Manilow. Quite a few weather forecasters are faeries, and so I am convinced they actually make the weather and then pretend to forecast it, the tricksy buggers.
I used to wonder if I might also be an faerie changling, as when I was a boy I had fine features, but as I have aged I have come to realize that I am a sentient potato sculpture.
posted by maxsparber at 1:10 PM on November 24, 2015 [12 favorites]
It looks like just for this long weekend, they are providing a free PDF of their summer issue, in case anyone else is curious about the magazine.
posted by instamatic at 3:26 PM on November 24, 2015
posted by instamatic at 3:26 PM on November 24, 2015
As I perused page after page, I began to form an image of the Faerie reader as the sort of crafty, romantic woman who decants her own herb-infused oils and stores them in jars of amber glass on her windowsill. She designs her own wrapping paper. She knits hats that end in animal ears. She has a tarot deck, a crush on Neil Gaiman and a worldview she’d describe as rose-colored.
Er...the tarot deck is really the only one that applies in my case. But fuck yeah Faerie Mag. They have a good weekly email newsletter, which is how I learned of Fernie Brae gallery just as I was getting ready to visit Portland in October (and the gallery owners were tickled pink that I'd made the effort). Totally go if you're in the PDX area!
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:37 PM on November 24, 2015
Er...the tarot deck is really the only one that applies in my case. But fuck yeah Faerie Mag. They have a good weekly email newsletter, which is how I learned of Fernie Brae gallery just as I was getting ready to visit Portland in October (and the gallery owners were tickled pink that I'd made the effort). Totally go if you're in the PDX area!
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 8:37 PM on November 24, 2015
For the curious, you can find Faerie Magazine here on the web, and download their summer issue as a PDF for free.
Warning: possible twee overdose!
posted by cstross at 4:45 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Warning: possible twee overdose!
posted by cstross at 4:45 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I had to struggle mightily to leave the word "twee" out of the post description in fear of editorializing. Thank you for supplying it.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:01 AM on November 25, 2015
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:01 AM on November 25, 2015
Why is this not a thing in my life at this very moment?
posted by Deoridhe at 2:55 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by Deoridhe at 2:55 PM on November 25, 2015
I am so incredibly happy that this exists, it's completely brightened my dreary, unfestive expatriate thanksgiving day.
posted by gloriouslyincandescent at 6:24 PM on November 25, 2015
posted by gloriouslyincandescent at 6:24 PM on November 25, 2015
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