A half-century: long enough to be distinctive, but short enough to fit within the span of retrievable human memory. In compiling this 50th-anniversary edition, we consulted with several past leaders of our publication. Each past editor left his or her impression on our pages, and we are grateful to them for carrying Memphis Magazine forward. Like most human endeavors that endure, this one has been a relay race, with each editor carrying the baton for a few miles, a few laps around the sun, before handing it over to the person waiting around the bend. Here, then, are reflections from a few of the relay-runners from years gone by — presented with our thanks to all those involved in creating and maintaining this enterprise. — Anna Traverse
JANUARY 1978
Fifty years! Wow! Though in some ways it does seem like yesterday. In early 1976, Bob Towery suggested that rather than starting a weekly newspaper (The Pinch, it was to be called), what about a magazine printed on his new, state-of-the-art five-color press? Young and fearless — some surely thought foolish — we were all in. The first issue of City of Memphis magazine came out that April, a remarkable feat in itself, and the beginning of a great adventure.
As they say, timing is everything, and Memphis in 1976 had plenty of things to celebrate and commemorate. No longer an “overgrown country town,” as it had been referred to, Memphis was brimming with an arts community of painters and photographers, designers and craftspeople. Across the city, the restaurant scene was burgeoning, with familiar old favorites (remember Justine’s and Pappy’s?) along with new venues popping up in Overton Square, East Memphis, and beyond. And of course, Memphis barbecue was and still is the best!
Fortunately, there also were writers and illustrators and photographers and art directors eager to share stories about the people, the accomplishments, the missteps, the food, the fun, and the fabulous — and the future of the city of Memphis.
For my wife, Florri, and me personally, it was also the forging of lasting friendships. For two years, we were constantly with Bob and Patty Towery — long hours at work, frequent dinners together, even a few vacations. Though we haven’t seen them in person often enough, they remain among our closest friends.
Congratulations on 50 years, Memphis Magazine! And thank you for some of the best times of our lives.
Having retired after three decades as senior editor of Washingtonian magazine, Ken DeCell is still doing occasional writing and editing of articles and books by friends and former colleagues.
