Arthur fundraises to stay afloat

It's lamentable that a long, vibrant history of magazines in America is plagued and pockmarked by foldings. Over the years, many ink-and-paper greats have been lost in the bankrupt oblivion, the world of Internet-only or the arms of larger media corporations: Harp, Resonance and No Depression are just a recent few taken from a long, sad list.

Unfortunately, that list is expanding.

For those who have read it since its start in 2002—and even many only vaguely aware of its existence—Arthur Magazine has always been a preeminent magazine of intelligent, fiercely original writing and thought about music, culture and the life that moves with these disciplines (along with pretty, pretty pictures).

As a bi-monthly review, Arthur prints essays, interviews, excerpts, travelogues, comics and anything else a reader could want from a magazine. The editors feature subjects across a wide interest base, from music to meditation to metaphysics; their keen eyes introduced the world to Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and many other artists that later bled into more mainstream press—along with even more that didn't. Their publishing imprint has put out a Sunn O))) album, amongst many others. And producer Rick Rubin, artist Miranda July and author/editor Dave Eggers are just three big names that call the magazine a favorite.

But in 2007, Arthur hit money problems. Editor Jay Babcock attempted to buy out publisher Laris Kreslin's share in the organization after a history of disagreements, but the magazine ended up on the wrong side of bankrupcy. Babcock declared it to readers simply: "Arthur is dead. Now I am broke and in debt." Shortly thereafter, the deal went through. Babcock was victorious. "I now own everything," he wrote.

After the comeback, it seemed all was right in the Arthur universe—until yesterday, when a sign went back up on the magazine's website. The call to arms is simple: "Arthur Magazine needs $20,000 by July 1 or it will die." The full appeal can be read here, but it comes down to rising costs in a frustrated magazine market.

For a publication so devoted to searching for "signs of life in music, film and culture" (our own tagline around these parts), we salute Arthur and wish it the best. They've already raised over $15,500 at the time of this article's writing, so the hope remains. You can donate below: