Lynn had a note pop up on some social media service I am no longer part of reminding her that the book launch party for The Magazine: The Book (Year 1) was seven years ago today! This was back when I was running The Magazine, and thought one path to longevity was to produce a beautiful book each year that would appeal both to subscribers to the digital edition and to people who were intrigued by the variety of subject matter.

Food and general non-fiction writer Matthew Amster-Burton did a magazine-themed comedy set (seriously, and it was hilarious). Marian Call and Seth Boyer performed her music, along with accompaniment on harmonica from her stepfather, a noted advocate for eating (cooked and prepared) bugs. The event was at the wonderful Ada’s Technical Books and Café, at which I hosted several talks in podcasts over the next few years.

The party was a great hit, although I didn’t sell many books! Even though it was open to everyone, most people who came had already purchased a book (or made a decision not to). In the end, about 1,500 copies of the book were funded via a Kickstarter campaign and I sold something like 1,400, and gave some a box away here or there, such as to the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum (which is featured in it), my managing editor, and a Portland artist. I have a box left of the hardcovers, and you can order one!

Due to logistics and timing, a second year wasn’t funded. The first year was October 2012 to September 2013, and the Kickstarter ran about that time. Delivery was in April 2014, which was too close to the end of year two, and it’s hard to run Kickstarter campaigns near the end of the year. However, to celebrate the whole history of The Magazine, I did fund production of a complete digital archive containing  nearly 300 stories, which is available for purchase, too.