We recently ordered several back copies of The Animals Voice Magazine, which will be accompanying us to our trip to Los Angeles this week. If you’re familiar with this long-standing publication published by activist Laura Moretti, then you already know how game-changing it has been. The publication started way back in 1986, when it was created as “an independent source of information, networking tools, and compelling editorial, photography, and news for animals and their defenders — worldwide.” The Animals Voice Magazine, which is an arm of the organization by the same name, is full of AR news, views, and inspirational content — both written and graphic. In fact, the quality of the publication kind of blows my mind, filling the pages with visually-stunning graphics and top-notch content written by some heavy-hitters, and great thinkers from the world of animal rights. A couple of the pieces I look forward to reading (“look forward” is a bit overstated, since some of it is horrifically sad) include: “Journeys to Hell: The global transport of animals to slaughter” and “Tom Regan is himself the voice of a nation.”
Though you can purchase the digital-only copy of any of these issues for roughly $5 (but some select e-versions are totally free), if you purchase a print version, you’ll get the digital version for nothing, just poof. Obviously it’s better on the planet to opt for just the e-version, but since I simply cannot suppress my desire for an actual magazine in hand — especially for long plane trips, when my laptop’s battery will surely die — I opted for the hard copy version. I know all too well that online publications are the way of the future (or present), but I will not let go of my desire to have something in hand to read from time to time. (In fact, I’m only now accepting the fact that cassette tapes have become antiquated.)