Of this I am certain: The writers and photographers who contribute to dsm represent our city’s top talent. No other local publication has contributors who possess such a high level of artistic and journalistic experience and skills. The evidence is found not only in the magazine—in this issue, Tim Paluch’s profile of the Brazilian 2wins, Mary Challender’s look at Grand View University, Jami Milne’s ballet project, Joelle Blanchard’s fashion photos, for examples—but also on our digital platforms.
Case in point: This summer, we were thrilled to publish Michael Morain’s reviews of Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of “Manon” and Pyramid Theatre’s Company’s performance of “A Raisin in the Sun” in dsmWeekly (our e-newsletter) and on our website. I’m sure most of you know Michael from his previous work with The Des Moines Register, where he covered arts and culture for a decade. We are exceedingly pleased to welcome him to our network of collaborators; Michael is a splendid prose stylist, and I know of no one who writes more insightful, engaging and entertaining reviews. Look for upcoming reviews of some of the fall season’s theater productions as well as art exhibits.
Our digital platforms allow us to be the first to share news as well. While our mission is not to be a news organization and not to take on the role daily media should and must play, we nonetheless continue to regularly break news on a variety of topics, thanks again to our contributors who have spent years building relationships in the community. For instance, Wini Moranville, a stellar writer whatever the subject, is constantly working the food and dining beat. As a result, we were the first to tell you about the American Cheese Society Conference coming to Des Moines, the former Dos Rios turning into Goldfinch, and plans for the new Saison, among other stories. (How to ensure you won’t miss such news and reviews? Subscribe to the free dsmWeekly, which you can do through dsmmagazine.com, and “like” our Facebook page.)
This doesn’t mean our print magazine isn’t newsy as well. dsm was the first of local media to cover, for example, the Healthy Homes East Bank project and plans for Noce jazz club, among many other stories (too many to mention). Our entire team is focused on producing fresh and fascinating stories—with unique angles and presented in visually engaging ways—that you won’t see anywhere else. We work hard to cover the people, places, things and issues relevant to our readers.
All of this—our contributors and staff, the stories we tell and how we tell them—is what makes dsm different. It’s what makes us eager to share the new issue with you—and just as eager to start creating the next one.
