Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly, Editor of Wanted Magazine
Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly, Editor of Wanted Magazine

ED’S LETTER | THE THINGS WE LOVE

Editing a magazine about all things beautiful and luxurious can be awkward and wonderful, all at once.

We live in interesting times, when our values are tested daily, and many people I know are choosing new ways to navigate the world, and making unexpected decisions about what is important to them.

I was having just such an existential moment, when a friend suggested I read the speech Annie Proulx made on accepting the lifetime-achievement prize at the National Book Awards in New York at the end of 2017.

In her speech, Proulx (she wrote The Shipping News, if you’re trying to figure it out!) quotes a poem by Polish poet Wisława Szymborska called Consolation. It’s a lengthy poem, and my word count doesn’t allow me to share it — please find it and read it.

Proulx summed up the general theme as: “The writer’s dilemma of choosing between hard realities and the longing for the happy ending”. Her perspective is not doom and gloom, but rather an optimistic view on how good values will prevail.

We’re all longing for a happy ending, and, while daily challenges and a cruel world make it seem like an impossibility, I’ve decided to be a committed glass-half-full person. That means, I’ll be going all out to focus on those things that are important to me and not be distracted by others’ agendas — possibly the biggest challenge we face right now.

So, in the world of Wanted, we will continue bringing you the latest and loveliest news about the things we love — and the remarkable people that create them: travel, fashion, art, design, good food, wine and whisky. Both in South Africa and abroad, there is incredible talent, industry and investment happening to make this world a better and more beautiful place — and contribute to a happy ending.

Jacquie

PS Actually, the best bit of Proulx’s speech was when she said she had started writing only when she was 58 years old. “So, if you’ve been thinking about it and putting it off, well…”

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