CEO, Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association
You hold in your hands the newest and most beautiful edition of The Tennessee Magazine in its nearly 70-year history.
For the past year, the small but incredible team of writers, editors and designers that brings this publication to you each month has taken on extra tasks and put in long hours to rethink and redesign this publication. After many meetings, lots of good ideas, scientific research and talented creative effort, the work has culminated in this edition.
Volume 1, Issue 1, of The Tennessee Magazine hit members’ mailboxes in September 1958.
I love it. And I hope you will too. This magazine is special because it celebrates truly special people, places, events, history, customs and curiosities. It celebrates the tremendous treasures we enjoy and is brought to you by people who care deeply about the community — your local electric cooperative. Indeed, The Tennessee Magazine has become the place to tell the stories of our shared experiences. But it is also a vehicle to keep you informed about how your electric co-op energizes every moment.
Each month, readers share stories with me about how the articles inform their minds and touch their hearts — and how the recipes warm their bellies. I have received handwritten letters in gorgeous cursive writing sharing how the photography inspired calm and quiet reflection. Sometimes the editorial that I write might challenge your thinking or inspire some well-deserved nostalgia. Sometimes those same editorials spark a spirited disagreement.
Occasionally, we hear from readers who tell us they collect and catalog copies, creating their own personal archives. It is humbling to know that people care enough to make this a part of their lives for years. For others, opening the mailbox and flipping through these pages are the start of an enjoyable hour that provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
Our contests are designed to both inspire and entertain. One of my favorite days of the month is when reader-submitted artwork is laid across the tables of our office. There are amazingly talented artists, poets and photographers among us. And in case you were thinking of writing to ask me, I can say that, yes, there is a flag hidden somewhere. I promise it’s there.
However you choose to engage with it, we are proud to bring you a publication that is more than the sum of its parts. It is meaningful, and we hope it enriches your life in ways both small and large.
So celebrate this new design with us, and enjoy the first new look in over a decade. As you do, know that our love for this great place we call home goes back generations. And that will never change. Please write us a letter and tell us what you like or what you don’t. We would love to hear from you.
