slake.

Brand X of the Los Angeles Times reports this week on the launch of Slake, a new literary magazine helmed by two former editors of the LA Weekly, Sandra Ocha and Joe Donnelly. The leading headline on the article reads "Can Slake, L.A.'s new 'Slow Lit" journal spark a cultural counterattack?" This made me cringe a little, and then, in the first paragraph, I read those dreaded words: "Print is dead."

Ugh. No. It's. Not.

OK, one--I really don't care for my stories and poetry and novels to suddenly ignite in an attack against culture. It's unnerving. If you're upset about something, go ahead and say it, but I've mentioned before my distaste for prose that tries to shock. When a piece works too hard to turn the world of letters upside down, you just end up with this.

And as for the whole "print is dead" thing, everyone has been yammering about that since the industrial revolution. It's never going to happen, people! Books are too awesome! Magazines, too!

But the article did make a good point that we're entering an era where we all communicate in 140 characters or less and information and opinions are relayed almost instantaneously. Slake is an attempt to slow it all down, much like the Slow Food movement. Take it from someone who writes sexy, sexy headlines all day. This is a fantastic idea. I am totally down with it.

The 232-page magazine debuts this month and features local writers like Mark Z. Danielewski, Jonathon Gold, Michelle Huneven and Jerry Stahl. I think this is going to be an exciting showcase for L.A.'s wealth of literary talent (shut up, New York), and will do much to illuminate a very misunderstood city. I'm going to buy it. Hopefully at Skylight Books.