Life in a Midwestern Town

Everyone who knows me well knows that I like to read. I like to read books, newspapers, magazines, and almost any other form of literature including newsletters and other short, brief pieces of journalism. No matter what the source, I can usually find something of value in a column from any publication.

Shorter articles are usually my preference because they are easier to read. But I also like an occasional longer article that thoroughly covers the subject at hand. One magazine that tends to be longer in length than others is Midwest Living, a publication for those who live in the Midwestern U.S. or who like to read about it or travel to this part of the country. Let’s take a look at what this magazine has to offer:

Features of This Magazine:

Each issue of Midwest Living covers about 200 to 240 pages and can be counted on for the following monthly features:

Columns- These vary each month, and they are listed separate from the monthly featured columns that are unique to each issue. Midwest Living includes about five to seven of these columns, with an emphasis on books, festivals, shopping, and other topics.

Home- Interior decorating and seasonal home decoration ideas can be found here.

Travel- This is a short, one to three page section that talks about travel in the Midwest with tips on how to enjoy your experience to the fullest.

Garden- Taking care of trees, bushes, flowers, and shrubbery is the focus of this section, with articles that generally stay in touch with the season.

Food- Highlights on Midwestern agriculture along with several recipes are the mainstay of this section of the magazine.

Reader Service- Located near the end of each issue, this section contains travel information and advertising, alphabetized state by state listings of articles of interest with a mail in card for more info, and a shopper’s guide with contact information for the different vendors in each magazine.

Between five and eight longer articles can be found in each issue about general Midwestern themes, and these can cover a broad range of topics from seasonal events to festivals to spotlights on specific cities and/or states.

Cost to Subscribe:

Midwestern Living is published bi- monthly, with six issues per year that carry a standard subscription price of $19.99. This works out to about $3.33, making Midwestern Living one of the more expensive magazines to subscribe to. This subscription price represents a small discount of only sixteen percent from the high cover price of $3.73 per copy.

Customer Service:

Inquires about this magazine can be made by calling the toll- free hotline, 800-374-9378. You can also find a few answers to more basic questions by logging into the web site, midwestliving.com. While in the web site, you can find answers to questions, read sample articles, and even send an e-mail message to the editors with a specific question or concern.

Final Thoughts:

Midwestern Living is a large, thick magazine publication that caters mostly to the Midwestern U.S., its people, and its lifestyle. This magazine is published six times per year, and it can be counted on to provide useful information for residents of states in this region, like North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Most of the pages of this magazine are dedicated to things like food, cooking, festivals, home decorating, and travel. The articles themselves are geared toward the culture of the Midwest, but most of them could apply to people who live in other places too. The home decorating, for example, which encompasses a large portion of the pages of each issue, is general enough that the ideas could be adopted by most anyone, regardless of geographical location.

I lived in the Midwestern U.S. for a large portion of my life, having called Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana my home for different periods of time. I can see how this magazine could be interesting for people living in these states. I think the guides on festivals are good and they help to keep anxious local travelers up to date on when and where to go for the latest action and fun. I also like the recipes. Some of them are very good, and I say that from experience. They include difficult and simple ideas and many of them result in some very unique and tasty cuisine.

On the bad side, though, I think Midwestern Living is a little too shallow in many of its articles and also a little too promotional of the Midwestern region. With the articles, it seems like they often go on and on about some topic but don’t really say all that much. Maybe since I lived for a long time in the Midwest I expect a little more than what Midwest Living offers. There are some good stories to be found very now and then, but most of them are a little too shallow and simple to take seriously.

Another thing that I don’t like about this magazine is I think it tries too hard to promote travel and relocation to the Midwestern U.S. I realize that a regional magazine like this one should be expected to emphasize the area it covers. But sometimes, the articles get a little carried away. Many of them talk about these states like they are undiscovered treasures just waiting to be found. With all due respect to those who live in these places, I’m afraid I have to disagree with the journalists’ endorsements of the Midwestern U.S. as a great place to spend a few weeks of vacation time. It’s funny how the authors’ of some articles in this publication will go on and on about a state park in Iowa or a river in Minnesota, trying to convince readers that these places would make a great place to spend a vacation. As much as the local populace might enjoy these areas, I must disagree with the promotion of these places as hot tourist spots. I have lived in three Midwestern states and while I can agree that some of them offer good places to raise a family, I cannot imagine spending a vacation in this part of the country when so many better places for travel exist.

One other thing about this magazine I don’t like is the frequency of publication and the subscription price. I read many magazines and I prefer those that are published either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Midwest Living is published only once every two months. This is too long to wait for a magazine. I know some people enjoy the anticipation, but I would rather get my new issue on a more frequent basis. I don’t like to wait for a new issue to arrive in the mail box. Also, the price for this magazine is quite high, and that includes both the cover price and the subscription price. Any magazine that costs over $3.00 per copy had better offer some worthwhile reading to read to justify the outlay of cash. Not only is this magazine expensive, but I resent the fact that the publishers offer such a skimpy discount on the cover price for subscribers. If they want to increase readership, they really need to offer a better price on the subscription- one that discounts the cover price by at least one- third.

Overall, Midwest Living is a decent publication that barely earns a recommendation. The majority of its articles about home improvements, gardening, and other general topics are good and they can be applied to anyone. But the remaining columns are interesting mostly to those who live in this part of the United States. This magazine is ok, and most will find it halfway readable. But it’s nothing to get exited over and there isn’t enough of interest here to justify the high price. Check out a copy, and judge for yourself.