The Believer, a five-time National Magazine Award finalist, is a bimonthly literature, arts, and culture magazine. In each issue, readers will find journalism and essays that are frequently very long, book reviews that are not necessarily timely, and interviews that are intimate, frank, and also very long. There are intricate illustrations by Tony Millionaire and a rotating cast of guest artists, poems, a comics section, and regular columns by Nick Hornby and Daniel Handler.In The Believer's fall issue, Pablo Calvi reports on an oil pipeline that threatens Ecuadorian indigenous populations, Alex Mar has tea with the Church of Satan's high priest, Daniel Werb discusses harm reduction in Tijuana, and Esme Weijun Wang explores living with schizophrenia. Other essays focus on the anarchist who's quietly fanning the flames of our country's insurrectionary movements and the irresistibly gothic family whose middle son is the inspiration behind Bolano's mad-genius poet in 2666. There are poems by Kay Ryan and Kathleen Ossip, in-depth interviews with Megan Rapinoe, Michael Schur, Jerry Stahl, Sheila Nevins, Ronald Cotton, and Miranda July, and a special section on the theme of silence with work by Diane Cook, Sara Novic, Stephen Burt, Rachel Z. Arndt, Matthew Zapruder, and JW McCormack.

The Believer, a five-time National Magazine Award finalist, is a bimonthly literature, arts, and culture magazine. In each issue, readers will find journalism and essays that are frequently very long, book reviews that are not necessarily timely, and interviews that are intimate, frank, and also very long. There are intricate illustrations by Tony Millionaire and a rotating cast of guest artists, poems, and regular columns by Nick Hornby and Daniel Handler. The annual Music Issue features Karen Tongson on her namesake, Karen Carpenter, and how the particular whiteness of the Carpenters' sound took off in the Philippines; Michael Snyder on a territory in northeast India in which contemporary Christian gospel is effecting near-total cultural assimilation; Phillip Pantuso on Guyanese songbird smugglers; Stephanie Elizondo Griest on dancers who place art above everything else in their lives; and Sandi Rankaduwa on the evolution of female emcees. There will also be (among other things) a special section on unreliable songwriters; a visual examination of Italo Disco's map to humanity's apotheosis via glitter and robot sex; and interviews with Enya, the LA Phil's Deborah Borda, punk bassist Mike Watt, rapper and producer Lil B, and legendary rock muse Bebe Buell.

The Believer's mission is to introduce readers to the best and most interesting work in the world of art, culture, and thought whether that means literature, painting, wrestling, philosophy, or cooking in an attractive vehicle that's free from the bugbears of condescension, mustiness, and jargony obfuscation. Its content (including essays, interviews, comics, poetry, and reviews) offers fresh perspectives from editors Heidi Julavits, Vendela Vida, and Karolina Waclawiak. Each issue includes the popular columns "Stuff I've Been Reading," by Nick Hornby and "What the Swedes Read" (a look at Nobel Prize-winners), by Daniel HandlerThe Summer Issue features new work by Nell Zink, Alvaro Enrigue, and Gary Greenberg; interviews with Robert Coover, Amber Tamblyn, and the New York Public Library's Paul Holdengraber; and new poetry by Rae Armantrout. Also in these pages, and among many other delights, you'll find a special section on the theme of wildlife, essays on the man after whom Jim Jones patterned himself and what it's like to be named after a sibling who died before you were born, examinations of the work of the artists Ray Johnson and Jimmy Robert, and the editors' short lists for the eleventh annual Believer Book Award and the fifth annual Believer Poetry Award.Table of Contents:Pockets of Resistance Catherine FoulkrodHow to Send Things to Germany Nell ZinkThe Divine Inspiration of Jim Jones Adam Morris"Abstract Expressionism": a new poem Andrew NurkinThe Confidence Man Gary Greenberg"Shooting Possums from the Back Porch of Roger's Bar": a new poem Michael McGriffWhat's in a Necronym? Jeannie VanascoA Common Language Kristina ShevoryDescending Night Elisabeth Donnelly(Untitled) Mary Mann"Comics" edited by Alvin BuenaventuraEl Vocho: A Familiar Subject Alvaro EnrigueWhat the Swedes Read Daniel HandlerThe Eleventh Annual Believer Book Award: Short ListRobert Coover interviewed by Aaron Shulman"Canary": a new poem Rae ArmantroutSchema: Top 100 US Drug Brand Names Shoshana AkabasThe Fifth Annual Believer Poetry Award: Short ListPaul Holdengraber interviewed by Lane KoivuJimmy Robert interviewed by Jude StewartSymposium: A discussion on (mostly) books as they relate to the theme of wildlife.Tim Sheedy on the orangutan, Donna Kozloskie on the rising floodwaters, Megan Pugh on a poetic doomsday prophecy, Monica Westin on vegetal being, and Bijan Stephen on spillover.Elizabeth LeCompte interviewed by Hillar LiitojaAmber Tamblyn interviewed by Rachel MatlowCharles Yu interviewed by Lev Grossman

The "Believer"'s mission is to introduce readers to the best and most interesting work in the world of art, culture, and thought--whether that means literature, painting, wrestling, philosophy, or cooking--in an attractive vehicle that's free from the bugbears of condescension, mustiness, and jargony obfuscation. Its content (including essays, interviews, comics, poetry, and reviews) offers fresh perspectives from editors Heidi Julavits, Vendela Vida, and Andrew Leland. Each issue includes the popular columns "Stuff I've Been Reading," by Nick Hornby; "What the Swedes Read" (a look at Nobel Prize-winners), by Daniel Handler; and "Real Life Rock Top 10," by Greil Marcus. The July/August Music Issue includes a free CD of new music curated for the magazine, the March/April Film Issue includes a free DVD of otherwise unreleased films, and the November/December Art Issue includes a free, always-changing bonus item.
The "Believer" is a monthly magazine where length is no object. There are book reviews that are not necessarily timely, and that are very often long. There are also interviews that are very long. We will focus on writers and books we like. We will give people and books the benefit of the doubt. The working title of this magazine was "The Optimist." --The Editors