Interview with Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni

Media folks have been taking questions about the magazine industry to "Mr. Magazine" for decades. Samir Husni, 70, now retired after more than 30 years as a professor at the University of Mississippi, is still the oracle when it comes to magazines with his Mr. Magazine blog (https://mrmagazine.me/)."It's the world of bookazine these days," said Husni, referring to the single-issue publications that turn up at checkout counters across America on subjects from Amazon to Zorro.In 2023 at least 1,000 bookazine titles hit the marketplace, he said. In addition to filling ballparks, Taylor Swift led in the number of bookazines published this year. "Jesus ran second," he told Steve Tarter.The bookazine concept succeeds with consumers despite a high cover price (that now ranges between $14 and $15), said Husni. "It's just one issue so there's no long commitment. If you're interested in going on a cruise, you'll pay $15 for a copy of 'Cruises on the Cheap,'" he said."The age of the mass magazines is gone," said Husni, who recently donated his vast collection of magazines (five storage units worth) to his alma mater, the University of Missouri.While Samir remains a supporter of the great magazines of the 20th century, citing Life, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, and National Geographic, he's not ready to shovel dirt on the printed page. "As long as we have human beings, we'll have print," he said.