Time Out editor Nick Dent has hit all the right notes with his timely February issue, a compendium to doing Sydney on a tight budget. From the eye-catching cover with its cut-out font to the 'Do It Yourself and Save' guide, the issue (mostly) strikes a balance between post-flood sensitivity and Sydneysiders' insatiable need for stimulation of the food and entertainment variety in a penny-pinching climate.
The irreverent title will offend some sensibilities (it's one of the few "mainstream" publications to have a Gay and Lesbian section editor, while one contributor shares that he once haggled over the price of a Big Issue so he could also buy a soft drink), but there are gems aplenty for those who like their culture high and low or somewhere in between.
My personal picks are the 'Colourful Sydney Identity' profile of author Ruth Park, who died on December 16 last year with The Harp in the South, Playing Beatie Bow and the children's Muddlehead Wombat series to her credit; the Q&A with playwright David Williamson, omnipresent across the press right now in light of his latest work, Don Parties On (he says, "I think men are floundering more than females in 2011!"); the picture-map to Rozelle Markets; Mick Molloy's self-deprecating comment that he was happy to play a character in The Jesters within his limited repertoire; and the interview with playwright Andrew Bovell about his work Speaking Tongues (adapted into the film Lantana).
Girl With a Satchel
2 comments:
Why is it offensive to have a Gay and Lesbian section editor?
Hi Charla,
My intention was to point out that the magazine has a gay and lesbian section, which may not agree with certain sensibilities and is an anomaly in mainstream publications but reflective of Sydney culture; should have edited out 'editor'.
Cheers,
Erica
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