Alex McDaniel
When we launched this thing last December, we did so knowing there would be growing pains, a whole lot of ‘em, and a period of developing the magazine’s voice as we brought more contributors on board and pushed ourselves to find stories you’d want to read (and pulling it off with a staff of two and a handful of freelancers).
I often compare launching a magazine to when I brought my son home from the hospital and spent the following six weeks sleep-deprived, confused and crying approximately 24 times a day. I was thrilled to be a mother and loved watching that kid do all the boring things a newborn does. But it was hard work—unfamiliar work—and there were long days and nights when I wondered if I’d ever get the hang of it or spend my life perpetually clueless. Each month got easier in some ways, harder in others. Still, there’s nothing like the feeling of falling into the groove of parenthood (regardless of how long that groove lasts, which in my case is usually 12 minutes or so).
The same is true for Oxford Magazine. And with May being our six-month mark, we’re starting to hit a nice groove of our own.
It’s a fitting month to talk motherhood, which is why we sat down with Carolyn Kessinger—the matriarch of Ole Miss baseball—who opened up about how being a mom has shaped her life in ways she didn’t expect (p. 88). Don’t miss our Mother’s Day gift guide (p. 47) featuring amazing products you can find fast (a good thing if you waited until the last minute to buy Mom a gift!).
With Memphis in May kicking off this month, we were inspired to dive into our own delicious barbecue scene (p. 37) right here in Oxford, which ties in well with a few words from John T. Edge (p. 41) on how he developed his latest book, “The Potlikker Papers,” which hits bookstores this month. If you’re a pet owner, or hope to become one, you’ll want to read Blair Hobbs’ touching piece on what one local photographer is doing to help the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society (p. 98). (Grab a tissue. Grab three.)
The past six months have gone by quicker than we ever could have imagined. Here’s to many, many more.
