MARIE CLAIRE: For Savvy Women Everywhere

Marie Claire has a new fan. Me. That's right, I finally got around to checking out the pages of this recent addition to the news stand and I like it. A lot. I like the design - it's easy to navigate the pages. I like the columns because they are not too "age specific" and I really enjoyed the many articles they presented to inform me, a woman seeks to be educated in an entertaining and thorough manner.

What really caught my attention while perusing my first issue was a story about women and health. In an article titled "I Fight My Illness Everyday," four women, ranging in ages from 23 to 37, discuss what it's like to live daily with a chronic illness (diabetes, hyperactive thyroid, lupus) and the ways they have empowered their own lives by managing their conditions with grace and courage.

The youngest of the four, Margaret at 23, is afflicted with a condition called alopecia. This malady caused all of her hair to fall out by the time she was seven years old (so hard on a young girl!) but living with this affliction has not stopped her from successfully pursuing a career as a model. The tender strength that she and the other women possess in the daily management of their conditions is inspirational and moving. Marie Claire won my loyalty with this wonderful article.

I had the preconceived notion that the magazine was geared towards a 20's crowd but I was delightfully mistaken. It is not a bunch of fluff. Sure, there are ad pages throughout touting miracle skin creams, overpriced parfums, and flawless fashions but the magazine as a whole is very informative to women of all ages.

The cover story of my issue highlights a great article on Janeane Garofalo, an actor and comedienne whose humor I enjoy tremendously and the real reason I bought the magazine in the first place. Having long felt that I missed the boat by not pursuing stand-up comedy, I follow the public lives of many talented women comics including Janeane, Lily Tomlin, Ellen Degeneres (yes, before the TV show), Carol Burnett, Gracie Allen, and many others. So Marie Claire hooked me with the Garafolo cover and gave me a nice long article about her current popularity in the entertainment industry. And yes, I checked the article's length before I bought it.

Will I subscribe? I already did. When I found a special, a subscription for "Just $1.00 an Issue!" in the center of the magazine, I tore it out and sent it on its way. Can't beat $1.00 an issue. Heck, even the news stand price was only $2.50 for a single copy. A lot of bang for a buck, I guarantee you.

This magazine is really a great collection of topics for women in general. I'm over 40 now yet 90% of Marie Claire was pertinent to my own life and the editors should be congratulated for not having page upon page of trendy prose. The magazine will appeal to all mature women over the age of 20 so if you are looking for a genuine woman's magazine, I highly recommend Marie Claire.