Jake Locker graces the cover of the September issue of Columns
One of the things that makes a magazine so special, I think, is that you never see the sausage being made. The magazine arrives in your box all plump, glossy, tantalizing. Inside, it’s full of evocative images, pretty pictures, interesting stories. And never do you, dear reader, see what goes on behind the scenes.
For us editors, that’s the goal. As exciting as the moments of failed lighting on photo shoots and writers exasperated by our demands for yet one more revision may be, they add little to the actual story. We want you to see a great magazine. Never mind what it took us to get there.
Usually, I don’t share the inside scoop; don’t reveal the man behind the curtain, but I’ll tell you this: The September issue of Columns didn’t come without some excitement, and one serious Hail Mary pass, this month in the form of a cover shoot. Our photo of Jake Locker was shot in about 20 minutes (we often take an hour or more for a portrait like this) on a hot, August evening when the quarterback made time for us between practice and dinner, before he headed back to the field again. (Good practice for our Heisman hopeful, as we’re sure Jake is going to have to get used to the media hounding him during work.)
That’s just a hint at the great things that happened behind the scenes on Columns recently. The fall issue is out now and, I believe, full of some fantastic stories. I hope you enjoy learning about everything from what makes Locker tick to what life is like as a Buddhist monk.
A lot of new and exciting things are happening at Columns—this editors blog being one of them—and we’ll share more with you in the weeks to come. Until then, please check out the fall issue of Columns. And, let us know what you think: as of this issue, you can now comment on any of our stories.
Julie H. Case
Managing Editor of Content