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Pif Magazine
ISSN: 1094-2726
Published by:
Pif, LLC
PMB 248
4820 Yelm Hwy SE
Suite B
Lacey, WA 98503-4903
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FEED
Reviewed by Ingrid Woodrow
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On first viewing, FEED is a little overwhelming. In scope it is reminiscent of WORD (reviewed in Pif 32), though it lacks the overall cohesion and sass of that 'zine. There's plenty of content here, but it seems to be arranged in a haphazard manner. The contents page features a gaudy '70s graphic of a dinner place setting, which seemed a little obvious until I read the editorial and discovered that FEED takes its name not from edible feed but the media usage, as in "television feed: a stream of data." This issue happens to be the FEED "Food" issue. (Are you confused yet? I was.) Food is the latest in a line of FEED Special Issues on subjects such as The Brain, Open Source Software and Video Games. |
FEED |
The FEED Food issue editors, Ana-Marie Cox and Deborah Shapiro, explain that the articles featured are written from the viewpoint of everyday people rather than food "experts." We're treated to an essay by Alleen Barber called "American Pie" that details the process of entering the Pillsbury Bake-Off. I also liked "What's your Madeleine?" where writers reflect on the foods that "take them back." Ken Kurson reflects on Poochie's Cheddar Dogs, Michelle Mitchell on Cinnamon Rolls, Jane Dark on Grapes, Josh Glenn on Fish Sticks and Beans, and Emily Jenkins on Apricot Bavarian.
My initial confusion over the mass of content in FEED was compounded by the fact that the FEED Food issue appeared in two parts, separated by a week, for no apparent reason. Still, I was warming to it until I stumbled upon the "FEED Online Media Kit." Apart from the standard self-promotional fare – such as how FEED is an "award-winning magazine" that blends "the best of print with the web's interactive features" – this section goes on to list in detail the readership details for the benefit of potential advertisers. If I were a regular FEED reader, I'm not sure I'd be too thrilled that the 'zine sees me as part of a readership with a "high click-through rate and conversion to sale ratio," 77% of whom "purchase goods online." Still, I guess that if any of these "affluent, educated and Web-involved" readers had a problem with their stats being made public, no doubt they would air their concerns on "The Loop," FEED's discussion forum. Hot topics include the question of whether or not De Lillo is "the finest writer of sentences in America." Browsing through FEED is an interesting experience. Providing loads of content with a broad appeal to readers as well as advertisers is surely a recipe for success.
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Ingrid Woodrow is a writer based in Brisbane, AUSTRALIA. Her novel, Goddess and the Galaxy Boy, was shortlisted in October 1999 in The Australian/Vogel Literary Awards and is currently under consideration by three major Australian publishers. She is completing a Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the University of Queensland and working on a collection of short stories, one of which received second prize in the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards in June 1999.
Ingrid is the founding editor of the online writing journal Mangrove, which is listed as a "Site of National Significance" in the National Library of Australia's PANDORA archive. Mangrove is also a finalist in the upcoming AIMIAs (Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Awards). Further information and samples of work can be obtained by visiting http://www.uq.edu.au/~eniwoodr