May
2004
Letter
from the Publisher
By Beth Gould
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Reflecting on the last ten years of publishing
Satya, it seems that the world has changed dramatically. Today the world
seems to be a more frightening and foreboding place, more filled with
hate, suffering and injustice than at any other point in my lifetime.
Those of us who object to the policies of our government are relegated
to the sidelines, deemed unpatriotic or out of touch. It is a position
that makes me feel powerless, as if at a tangible moment, the world
took the wrong path, and we are now doomed to follow it to its fate.
But reflection is not a reliable barometer of reality, and the problems
that we sought to address at the inception of this magazine are still
relevant and vital.
We started Satya as a tool for those wishing to make the world a more
compassionate, truthful place. That sounds grandiose, but the sincere
hope that offering people a forum for education and communication in
a world that often favors big business and power to the detriment of
animals, people and the environment seemed like a good starting place
for affecting change. I’m not sure if we’ve succeeded. Activists
still face much the same challenges, and tangible proof of our success
is dimmed by the cruelty in evidence throughout the world. But perhaps
the most important thing about Satya has been the effort. We didn’t
expect that with a publication of a monthly magazine that we could end
suffering. But offering our readers a place of comfort and an exchange
of ideas helps contribute to the belief that one day we will succeed,
and that we can make this world a better place. We have tried to offer
a discourse that is not based on rhetoric and political maneuvering,
but on real, true action that has the potential to blossom into compassionate
change. Although it is a clichéd sentiment, I believe that the
course of our lives are not decided by epochal moments, but by a constant
striving to hold true to ideals, a daily effort towards a compassionate
life.
There are many people whose efforts have made Satya possible. I would
like to thank a few to whom I owe a personal debt of gratitude. Martin
Rowe, my co-founder and the first editor of Satya, is the
author of the initial premise of the magazine. Without his vision and
tireless
work this magazine would never have become a reality. I thank him for
his intellectual contributions. Martin’s successor, Catherine
Clyne, has imbued Satya with a strong social conscience, and
her tutelage has seen a great development in the scope and quality
of the magazine.
Both Catherine and our Assistant Editor, Rachel Cernansky, continually
impress me with their ability to find varied and important topics to
cover, and to tell these stories with elegance and intelligence. We
have had a varied and wonderful group of people working on Satya throughout
the last ten years, and I would specifically like to thank Julie Hughes,
who brought her style and humor to our pages, Samantha Knowlden, and
Angela Starks. The last two in this long list of accolades have helped
with the publishing side of Satya. Jeffrey Weaver, who helped me turn
an endeavor initially run from my kitchen table into a real business
and Jedd Gould, my brother, who taught me how to publish a magazine—my
sincere thanks for your patience and hard work.
My greatest thanks go to Satya’s loyal readers, advertisers,
subscribers and contributors. No matter how much we might have endeavored
to produce
a worthwhile publication, you are the ones who truly made it a reality.
Your support and feedback have continually energized us. I look forward
to continuing our friendship, and this ongoing conversation.
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