good girl cultural productions - A brief history of good girl magazine

A Brief History of good girl, by Nikko Snyder

(Originally published in good girl magazine No. 6, Summer/Fall 2004)

2000
Fall - Have conversation with long-time friend Amy over dim sum in Toronto about my fantasy of starting a Canadian feminist magazine for young women.

2001
January - Send mass email stating my intention to start good girl and requesting contributors. The email states that good girl’s goal is “to build a community of amazing young Canadian women!”

April - Celebrate 24th birthday. good girl No. 1 is published, out of my house and out of my pocket. The 500 copies printed are given away free.

June - Get laid off from day job. Visit York University on a whim that same day.

July - Apply to the Master in Environmental Studies program at York
University, in North York ON.

August - Visit an ashram in the interior of BC, during which time I learn I’ve been accepted to school. Return to Toronto.

September 11 - First day of classes in a program that will change my life, on a day that will change the world.

November - good girl No. 2 (All Things Sexual) is published, out of my house and out of my pocket. 750 copies.

2002
January - Am contacted by an anti-racist activist in Toronto regarding the oppressive nature of the images in good girl. Heart breaks. Undertake to build an Editorial Board in an attempt to make good girl a more inclusive, collective project with shared accountability. Put out call for volunteers.

February - Interview over 30 women from across Canada for positions on the Board. Struggle with decision not to interview sole male applicant.

February - Interview Candis Steenbergen on the phone for a position on the Board. She’s a shoo-in.

March-June - Make valiant attempt to coordinate the communication of the Board, made up of 12 people from Victoria BC to St. John’s NF.

July - good girl No. 3 is published,out of my house and out of my pocket. 1000 copies. Marks first issue to be edited collectively! Also marks the first issue to have a glossy look and to be distributed nationally. Celebrate with a kick-ass fundraiser, which turns out to be good girl’s last hoorah in Toronto.

August - Make rash decision to move to Montreal for a position with ascent magazine. Figure I can finish my degree while I work. Pack up the U-Haul. Boyfriend moves to Europe for the year.

November - good girl is nominated for an Utne Independent Press Award for Best New Title. Celebrate in Montreal with a raucous Halloween fundraiser (did I mention that fundraisers don’t often raise funds?). Go as the Ghost of Betty Crocker.

2003
January - good girl No. 4 (The Isms Issue) is published, out of my house and out of my pocket, this time on non-glossy, recycled content paper. 1000 copies.

January-July - Survive heinous existence involving a long-distance relationship, full-time job, full-time grad school and publishing good girl. Don’t see old friends or make new ones. Fight off depression and emotional collapse. Two years after launch of magazine, finally undertake Business Plan for good girl, as part of my master’s work.

June - good girl No. 5 (The Phobias Issue) is published, out of my house and out of my pocket. 1000 copies. Move back to a glossy look and print first colour cover. Prettiest issue to date!

August - Boyfriend returns from Europe. We break up.

September - Defend master’s thesis on feminist business planning and good girl magazine. Leave defence knowing that I’ve given the last I have to give. Celebrate convocation with a solo road trip from Vancouver to Winnipeg.

2004
October 2003-March 2004 - Flake out completely. Avoid email and the telephone at all cost. Retreat from the world and everyone in my life. Slowly recover and return from the brink. Angry subscriber reports good girl to the Better Business Bureau.

March - Decide with Candis to publish final issue of good girl (No. 6, The Manias Issue).

May 2 - Walk in the warm spring rain in Montreal, contemplating life, feminism and good girl. Sit down to write the first of many drafts of my last editorial.

Mandate

Theoretical Grounding