Welcome to Anxy Magazine
Today we’re unveiling issue one of Anxy. It’s a new print magazine about the way we live our lives — and at the heart of it is a question: What happens when people spend a lifetime pretending everything is OK… but it isn’t?
The inaugural issue is our answer to that question. We created it to bring difficult stories to light, acknowledge them, honor them — without judgment. Because we think that pretending you’re OK creates a distorted perception. It tells us that we are the troublemakers, the ones who can’t get it together, the ones who are broken, or weird. It isolates us.
We started Anxy to make a space where vulnerable personal stories, the kind of stories we often keep to ourselves because we feel ashamed, can be shared.
And we’re beginning on the theme of anger.
It might sound like an appropriately provocative way to start, given the political climate. The reality is, though, that we had it in mind long before the events of the past year unfolded. Why? Because anger is one of the most prevalent and challenging emotions, and so often misunderstood. For some people, anger runs the show; others avoid it all together. Anger helps us feel less vulnerable and more powerful. Our fear and sadness and other more sensitive feelings are more easily ignored, pushed aside, or justified when we stay in the angry places. And so, in this issue, we want to explore the spectrum of anger, how and when it is useful, and when it’s harmful.
What we wanted for Anxy №1 was to present you with surprising, thoughtful perspectives on how we deal with anger, coming from a range of different voices and perspectives.
We’ve got an interview with the author Margaret Atwood, whose book The Handmaid’s Tale has just launched as a gripping series on Hulu. We’ve got reporting on what happens when people get angry at the ones they love; we’ve got storytelling from the streets of Turkey; we’ve got interviews from people who work at the frontlines of fury.
And then there are astonishing photo essays from three wonderful photographers: Matt Eich, Melissa Spitz, and Brian Frank. Each of them explore how their emotions and anger drive their work.
On top of this, there are essays from the likes of Ijeoma Oluo, Aleks Krotoski, and Kate Speer, and contributions covering poetry, food, music and so much more.
Bringing an idea to fruition is never simple or easy. I am so lucky to have had such great encouragement all the way along; from our Kickstarter supporters, who gave us the funds to get started, and our growing community of readers, who have boosted us everywhere we publish.
And I couldn’t have done any of it without the Anxy team. They dared to join me on this journey and challenge the odds. Their generosity warms my heart and I’m so grateful to have them all in my life. Thank you.
So I want to take a moment to appreciate all of our family members, friends, collaborators, contributors, patrons, and supporters. You believed in Anxy, even when it was merely a concept, encouraging me and giving us confidence that this project was relevant. It means so much to us to count you as part of our community.
We share our first issue with great pride and gratitude.
Here’s to the possibilities.
— Indhira Rojas
Anxy №1: 144 pages of beautiful, thoughtful, and thought-provoking storytelling that you won’t want to miss.
