My lexicon is filled with “fun.” More than a magazine editor should, I tend to speak colloquially, use idioms and clichés liberally (especially old-fashioned terms), and introduce plenty of phrases that my family calls Kristen-isms. I’m a big fan of the word “fun.”
“Let’s do something fun this weekend.”
“Oh, how fun!”
“What fun things have you done lately?”
“That is so cool and fun.”
I’m sure I say these statements several times each day, and I realize they probably make me sound more like a high schooler than a 40-something mom and editor.
I talk about fun. I like to have fun. Fun is a serious issue these days. In researching the topic of fun for this letter, a respected book I’ve not read repeatedly turned up, Homo Ludens, written in 1938 by Dutch historian, cultural theorist, and professor Johan Huizinga. It discusses the importance of the play element of culture and society. Even today, the book is a primary tool used by game designers in prescribing what sort of play is fun for folks. The Latin title of the book means “Man the Player” or “Playing Man.”
Fun and play are inextricably connected. My friend Stacy often speaks of people she admires as being “filled with a playful spirit.” Yet modern life is so serious! For so many people, the economic hardships of the past few years have drained the fun from life. Fortunately, Evansville is home to plenty of fun people, a joyous, spirit-filled handful who agreed to help us bring fun and play into our lives.
Among the four tenets of this magazine’s mission is the objective “to inform, instruct, amuse, and entertain our readers.” Amuse and entertain! Certainly we’re in the business of fun.
I hope you’ve had fun reading this. I always have fun writing these letters, and of course our staff (a very fun bunch) has fun putting together each issue for you. Now, go have some fun! As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Kristen K. Tucker
Publisher & Editor
