BUST

BUST is a bi-monthly women’s lifestyle magazine geared towards crafty, young adult, professional women.  It can be found at Alden Library next to magazines like Glamor and Cosmopolitan.  Unique to BUST is that it works to blend what is considered old female interests with the sort of new-age popular female interest—I found BUST’s style described as “girlie feminist” a couple of times.  In the February/March addition of BUST the New/ Old style was visually demonstrated.  It featured elderly woman whom hold some celebrity pictured wearing some sort of eclectic outfit-- next to these photos a young model was featured wearing the same thing the older woman in the picture was wearing.  BUST includes everything from interviews with celebrity woman to travel writing to recipes and crafts to a section at the end with BUST endorsed music, books, and movies.  

Debbie Stroller and Laurie Henzel published the first edition of BUST in 1993.  They wanted to create a better publication for woman.   They created the tagline for their magazine: “the magazine for women with something to get off their chests.”

Bust is always accepting submissions of work and can be sent to P.O Box 1016 Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276.  Check out the BUST website for more details.  This would be a good publication to submit all kinds of non-fiction work.  Short pieces on a woman doing something awesome for the world would work or your own female experience would work as well.

In the February/March edition there is a short story on female tattoo artist, Amy Black who is tattooing nipples on those who have been victim to breast cancer.  In another story called My Beautiful Launderette author Ayun Halliday writes a sort of meditative essay on laundry.  She writes about the never-ending supply of laundry she most do and how at times it makes her feel strong and tough.—“Not that we mothers have a choice” she writes.

BUST holds a craft fair called the Craftacular in the spring and winter.  At the latest event participants made friendship bracelets, snow globes, terrariums, bathroom booms (I think this is a sort of soap—but who knows—it could be something gross!) and retro-hair dos.  Raffle prizes are given out.  Hundreds of vendors sell their crafts bringing together artists.  Those attending dance the night away dressed in some sort of theme.

I thought this magazine was a nice one to look through and provided a good window into other women’s lives.  Unlike the other publications we have looked at, BUST appeals to a narrower audience but covers a wider range of topics.