Wednesday #1 Review
By Kevin Hoskinson
Entertainment Editor
Community is sometimes hard to find. There is a world where everybody you surround yourself with shares the same passions as you do and understands exactly where you are coming from. While this world does exist in some version of the multiverse, most of us in this one are struggling to find that sense of belonging. It’s not easy, especially when everything is so divisive in the world, but we try our hardest to find that perfect place. I’m thrilled that things like Wednesday are put out into the world. Wednesday is an annual magazine that dares to dig into the macabre and the dark, the places in our minds that many of us don’t like to admit we love out loud but are fascinated by. It’s also the place in our minds that tends to breed the most creativity. If we are being honest with ourselves, we are surrounded by darkness on a daily basis, and as one subject in the magazine says, “It’s easy to get rid of the light. To dispel darkness is more complex”. And they couldn’t be more right.
From the start of this 280-page odyssey, one thing that strikes you is how it feels less like a magazine and more like a beautiful coffee table book. The book has a simplistic design that isn’t overpowering but begs you to pick it up out of curiosity. Once you open it, you are drawn into its lush pages that figuratively and literally celebrate dark culture. It is split into easy-to-navigate sections and has a table of (dis)contents directing you where you want to go. There is so much to see and read that knowing where to go first is nearly impossible. Still, I can easily recommend starting from the beginning and working your way through it as you would any other piece of captivating literature.
This is where I owe the folks at Wednesday an apology. I was lucky enough to be given the first issue for review, but it took a while for it all to sink in. There was something about reading it from front to back that left me with a new appreciation for everything I love and all the things people work so hard to create. Beyond the printed word and beautiful photography, something was at work below the surface, even though I didn’t know it at first. There was something so visceral about the experience that I had to take small breaks between segments to reflect on what I had just experienced. Then I figured it out! It was the interviews that pulled you into the featured subjects’ world and gave you a unique glimpse into their thought process. These people aren’t just creating art; they are putting their souls out there for all to see, and I wouldn’t have ever thought about that if I hadn’t read this magazine. The questions asked by Wednesday’s journalists aren’t your typical run-of-the-mill interview questions but rather well-thought-out conversation starters that allow the artists to dig in and get profound about their processes and lives.
This issue features pieces on photographer Nicholas Alan Cope, musician and painter Richard Butler, singer and songwriter Alice Glass, former member of Massive Attack, solo artist Tricky, and filmmaker Robert Eggers. These are just some of the personalities featured in interviews, photoshoots, short stories, and art sections of the book. Everyone featured is larger than life, and they put their hearts and souls on their sleeves for the world to see. One of my favorite directors is Robert Eggers, and it was fascinating to learn things about his process that I never knew about. I knew nothing about photographers like Matthew Christopher, whose journey started with the drive to learn more about mental health in this country and unexpectedly led him to capture abandoned places on film. There is also a story by author Laura Albert, “Deathly Logical,” which is one of the best pieces of short fiction I have ever read, and gorgeous artwork from Aubrey Beardsley.
It all boils down to this: Wednesday is incredibly unique, and there is more than enough content to keep you entertained while educating you on your favorite artists and ones you might be learning about for the first time. It celebrates the very best of dark culture and gives beautiful insight to those who work in that world. It will give many a sense of belonging, and if you are anything like me and find solace in the dark, this is the magazine for you. Pick it up today HERE.
Rating: FIVE Pastrami Nations out of FIVE
