On
June 26, 2003, Nerve turned six. (Rest assured — in start-up-magazine years, this is well beyond the age of consent.) Six years of smart, raw fiction; six years of revealing personal essays and photography. Seemed a good time to review the stuff that made Nerve great in '98 — the
whip-smart smuttiness of The Lisa Diaries, the salivating erudition of Jack's Naughty Bits ? but also look to the future. As our focus broadens beyond "literate smut" (a tagline which, having served us well for many years, is now officially retired), we will evolve into a smart lifestyle magazine for young men and women, one that doesn't pander to publicists, fan false hype or buckle to political correctness. Sex will remain essential. Our trademark fiction and personal essays aren't going anywhere; their honesty of voice and acuity of perspective will simply be applied in new directions — to
dating, relationships, progressive culture; through satire and investigative
reporting.
This Anniversary Issue is the first shot fired in our battle to create
a new kind of magazine. These pieces provide very individual glimpses
into the lives, perspectives and bedrooms of their individual writers.
But ultimately they should come together, mosaic-style, to depict
the color and clamor of a cultural moment. What does the word "slut" signify in 2003? Is male bisexuality a hot trend or old hype, and what does its existence — or relative absence — say
about masculinity? As we grow and change over the next six years,
we ask that you keep us honest. Turn us on to what you think is important.
We hope it'll go both ways. It's only going to get better.
— Michael Martin, editor-in-chief, Nerve.com
click image
to take an
interesting look at Nerve's past
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