Unintentional inspiration from one millennial to another has led to the creation of a magazine that thrives off the voice of a generation.
Loner Magazine is a one-month-old online publication founded by four journalists covering current and popular societal topics. From subjects as broad as health and equality to some as controversial as sex and feminism, Loner Magazine presents readers with a deeper look into the everchanging world through the writings of millennials.
Leading the pack of founders is Katie Booth.
Prior to moving to Hollywood, Booth attended Chico State, where she initially began her career in journalism. In 2008, she worked as the copy editor and content creator for the calendar and began to learn many valuable writing tips from both her time at The Orion as well as from the journalism department.
“A lot of what I have learned at Chico has helped me for when I’m giving advice to others on how to write,” Booth said.
Following her time at The Orion, Booth was given the opportunity to write for the Chico News & Review.
“I was given a lot of freedom and they the News & Review) really believed in me,” Booth said. “I also got to write two cover stories while I was there, and it reaffirmed my training from Chico State.”
Booth graduated in 2009 with a degree in journalism with an option in news-editorial. However, she put publication on hold and made her way to Hollywood.
“I moved to LA to pursue acting, and I knew I’d be focused on that,” she said. “I wanted to be an actress and writer, but I knew I would have to be committed to auditions and feature film scripts. So not until an internship for five months with bestnewbands.com did I begin publishing again.”
Booth has worked in film, television, theater, improv and writing during her time as an actress. Since childhood she had wanted to write novels. However, a recent trip to New York presented her with a different goal modeled after a child prodigy.
“The magazine idea came out of thin air after seeing a play on Broadway,” Booth said. “I noticed Tavi Gevinson was in the play, and I began to research her and found that she had started her own online magazine for teenage girls when she was in high school. It’s a great resource for young girls,and it inspired me to do something similar that would reach out to our generation.”
She went back to Los Angeles and contacted three friends of hers that would help define, shape and structure Loner Magazine, Booth said.
One example of the magazine’s subjective material can be found in Booth’s most recent publication on the website. In the online magazine’s second issue, her article titled “The Sex Talk” breaks down the current oversexualized society often overlooked because of the the frequent recurrence of sex in entertainment.
“I wanted to start a magazine that would build a community, engage all people but especially younger people, provide a resource and rebrand ‘millennial,'” Booth said. “Ultimately, we wanted to make a contribution to the world. Something beautiful and inspiring that would bring connection and change.”
Blaine Ball can be reached at [email protected] or @BlaineHBall on Twitter.
