Atlantic Monthly July-Dec 1989

These periodicals were very interesting. They look much like any other magazine that we see on shelves in stores today. However, there are a few differences that distinguish them from our magazines today. First of all, the magazines are older and not full of gossip. Instead, this periodical is full of fiction stories and poems. There are also full or reviews of paintings, articles, and pieces of art. There are also reviews of TV shows, movies, books, and different brands. There is an article on Landsend and their new bathing suits that get rid of padding and excess fabric. Reviews on books, movies, TV shows and brands. There are also recipes and ads like there are in magazines today. There are also lots of pictures and cartoons. However, the article and stories in these magazines are much longer than articles today. They go on for 3 or 4 pages. It shows how fast paced our world has gotten and we don’t have time to read a 3 page article. We want the facts now and in the fastest way possible. There are also letters to the editor, crosswords and, and car ads.

                               

There were poems that I liked in the magazine. One was named “Squirrels Mating” by John Updike. It’s about 2 squirrels mating, which is what the title says it’s about. There is a male squirrel that chases a female squirrel and then they do it. It was weird that they would put something like this in s a magazine. However, I guess kids back then didn’t read magazines, so I can see why. Also, there is a poem called “Mushrooms” by W.S. Merwin, which is as the title says, it’s about mushrooms. It was interesting and detailed. Also, it talked about how mushrooms grow and where you find them.

There is also an article that I found really interesting that is entitled “Origins of the Cowboy Boot” by Roland Sodowsky. The first settlers in the Texas Occident were from New Hampshire and they were gatherers. These gatherers were high and wide boot in which they dropped the food they gathered. The gatherers specialty could be determined by the color of their boot tops because the seeped juices of the things they gathered stained the leather. Later on Angus Macleoud became the first boot maker in the Texas Occident. At the end of the article the author said that it has never been determined how the Macleoud boot became the “cowboy boot” in the early 1920’s. However, conservative Texas Occidental refer to it by its traditional name which is the Fruit Boot.