For a full seven years, I have been writing the “Intimacies” column in The Good Life magazine and hosting the group at BookPeople on behalf of the magazine. It has been a great pleasure to write about love, sex and romance and to exchange confidences with everyone at the discussion group. So it is with great sadness that I must share with you the news that I received last week from my editor, Ken Martin. His email began as follows:
“Dear Good Lifers,
The road goes on forever
And the party never ends
But The Good Life must
It is with deep regret that I must inform you that The Good Life is
going out of business.
After publishing 136 editions, we have exhausted our resources….”
This came as a complete surprise for me. Since the magazine had revised its format last year and just last month launched a wonderful new website, it was not what I expected.
The January issue is the last.
The January 21 meeting at BookPeople is still scheduled and will occur, even though The Good Life is no longer sponsoring my efforts there. (I’ll buy the wine; contributions will be welcome.) Ironically, the topic is “Love in the Recession.” My special guest, Claire Miner PhD, and I will lead a conversation about how financial stress may affect our social lives and what we can do to nurture our relationships in spite of those problems. Claire trained at the Gottman Institute and has done a lot of career coaching and counseled couples and singles for five years.
Meet Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 7:00pm-8:30pm on the third floor of BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar. Audience members will be encouraged to share their personal experiences. No charge, just bring your sense of humor and an open mind.
BookPeople management said that we can hold the Feb and March meetings since those are already programmed. Please watch for future announcements. To continue the meetings at BookPeople beyond March, however, the store has told me that I must find another well-established publisher for my column on line or in print.
When one door closes, another opens, and I hope that this may enable me to find a new, wider audience. I am seeking another publisher to continue my work. I’m asking for your ideas and support. Please write to me, Karen@TrueIntimacies.com, with suggestions for another publishing venue or an introduction to anyone who might be helpful in finding a new sponsor for my Intimacies work, writing and hosting.
Last year I published a collection of my columns in the book, Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance. The book is illustrated with photographs of figurative sculpture by my husband and “Intimacies research assistant,” Arye Shapiro. The book can be ordered online at www.TrueIntimacies.com (where I will also continue to blog). BookPeople has the book in stock, and it may be ordered from any bookstore in the country. If you’ve been attending the meetings at BookPeople or enjoying my columns in print, please buy a copy now as a souvenir. The book makes a great, meaningful Valentine’s Day gift that will stimulate conversation about relationships and pleasure. Please consider giving copies to your friends and lovers.
There has been an outpouring of appreciation for The Good Life magazine and letters to the editor have been posted on the magazine’s website. You can add your voice by writing to editor@goodlifemag.com or by commenting with a reply on this blog.
