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

	In this issue:
	The (Lost) Lisa Diaries by Lisa Carver 1998: Stalking weirdos. /regulars/
	Nerve's 10 Best Personal Essays: A Retrospective by Various The most compelling examples of a Nerve trademark. We'll feature one essay from the last six years, each weekday from June 23 - July 4. /personal essay/
	Requiem for a Handjob by Kevin Keck A memorial for the art of manual stimulation. /personal essay/
	The Nerve Pickup Line Contest Make us laugh, make us cry, make us think we're on a singles' cruise circa 1977. /contest/
	The 2003 Nerve Sex Survey Let us into your bedroom; we'll make it worth your time. /surveys/
	Ritual de lo Habitual by Emma Taylor The new rules of the booty call. /personal essay/
	I, Slut by Carrie Hill Wilner The new power of female promiscuity — and it's no episode of Sex and the City. /personal essay/
	The Best of Jack's Naughty Bits by Jack Murnighan A look back at sex in literature, from James Joyce to the Starr Report. /regulars/
	Sleeping With the Enemy by Grant Stoddard The latest urban nightmare: living with your ex. /dispatch/
	Bush in 2003! by Jack Murnighan A new agenda for the pubic sector. /opinion/
	The Invisible Men by Carl Swanson Whatever happened to the New Male Bisexuality? How the "post-gay man" got lost on the way to the mainstream. /dispatch/
	Can You See Me Now? by Mark Morford Will cellcams make phone sex even better than the real thing? /opinion/
	Welcome to The Big Bang by Rufus Griscom Let the new sexual revolution begin! (Just buy the book first.) /opinion/
	Nerve Beginnings by Rufus Griscom Our co-founder is still grateful not to have a real job. /personal essay/

© 2003 Nerve.com, Inc.