Delivered by STACK January, 2010: Zoetrope
Subtitled ‘All-Story’, Zoetrope is exactly that. Published by Francis Ford Coppola from his creative stronghold in San Francisco, Zoetrope publishes exceptional short stories and writing from all over the world. But it doesn’t end there – each issue a big name contributor is asked to oversee the design of the magazine, changing the tone of the publication and telling their own story via their design choices. Difficult to find in the UK, Zoetrope deserves to find a much wider audience outside the US and we’re very pleased to be helping that happen.
The Stack interview
Name
Michael Ray
Job title
Editor
What is Zoetrope?
Zoetrope: All-Story is a story and art quarterly published by Francis Ford Coppola. Its contributors include Wes Anderson, Ethan Coen, Haruki Murakami, Mary Gaitskill, Woody Allen, Ha Jin, Elizabeth McCracken, John Hughes, Miranda July and Neil Jordan.
What makes it different to the rest?
Each issue of the magazine is designed in its entirety by a leading artist. Among past guest designers are Gus Van Sant, William Eggleston, Lou Reed, Zaha Hadid, Ed Ruscha, David Bowie, Marjane Satrapi, Elizabeth Peyton, Tom Waits, and David Byrne.
Who makes Zoetrope?
The magazine’s staff is two – managing editor Krista Halverson and I. We also rely on a number of very dedicated volunteers to make things go.
Who reads it?
People who love great stories and innovative art.
Why do you work in magazines?
With magazines – particularly smaller, independent titles – there’s an opportunity to be experimental, to take chances. As well, I appreciate that so much work and thought can be poured into a vessel that’s essentially disposable, transitory.
Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
We teach workshops, both online and at Mr. Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize, and host events in San Francisco, New York, and LA.
What would you change about Zoetrope if you could?
I wish we had the resources to realize all of our designers’ ideas for the magazine. Once we gather and edit the stories for a given issue, we send them off to that edition’s guest designer, who returns a magazine that’s beautiful and unexpected. On occasion, a designer might conceive of a technique or material we’re unable to produce, given our limited production budget. However, the products of those periodic shortfalls are often the magazine’s high points, as we’re then compelled to figure some alternative means of realizing that designer’s vision. So, like with all artistic pursuits, the restriction of our resources often spawns our most creative work.
Can you pick a favourite issue of Zoetrope?
I can’t. We labor so intensely over each, and in selecting one I face leaving out the others.
Where do you see Zoetrope in five years?
While I don’t imagine the content changing fundamentally – we’re dedicated to our mission of publishing the best short fiction in the world – I do hope to expand the platforms by which we disseminate that content. In a way, I suppose, Stack is part of that.
