Photo by Heather Gammill.
Lakeview Street, as seen in our May issue story, "When There's Nowhere to Go."
Today's the day that printed copies of Country Roads' May issue begin to hit the streets. We know: May 7th is a bit later than our magazine usually turns up in your friendly neighborhood coffee shop. But like pretty much every other business under the sun the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a whole toolbox full of wrenches into our business, upending not only our publishing schedule but also our distribution process. With many of the stores, cafés, and restaurants where you'd normally find a copy temporarily closed, we've had to make many adjustments. So if you're having trouble laying hands on a copy, or missing the sensation of holding an actual, analog printed thing in hand, we've added a list of active distribution locations to our website HERE. Better still, do yourself (and us) a favor by buying a subscription, and letting us deliver your monthly copy straight to your door. We've also got a digital flipbook of the May issue online HERE, so there's no excuse! We're rather pleased with the cover, which is bound to put a smile on the face of anyone missing the joyous tradition of spring crawfish boils. Have look and let us know what you think.
Whichever way you choose to consume our May issue, I think that the stories make it well worth chasing down. In this anything-but-normal year, the "Embrace Your Place" issue delivers a thoughtful meditation on the vital importance of community and of place—concepts often given lip service, but which we're truly discovering the value of right now. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the response to Ruth Laney's article tracing the history of Baton Rouge's old Acadian Club. As soon as Ruth's article appeared at countryroadsmag.com we began hearing from readers with tales of formative experiences had at Baton Rouge's landmark country club for teenagers. Lauren Heffker and Paul Kieu's ode to the travails of Louisiana's embattled crawfish farmers is guaranteed to make you don your mask and rush out to the nearest boiled crawfish house. And Equus, Jordan LaHaye's beautifully wrought exploration of her father's renewed enthusiasm for horse training during lockdown, gives all of us reason to reflect on what this sudden, unexpected pause in the headlong rush of "normal" life has brought into focus. A side effect of this strange experience has been a unique opportunity to reflect upon what matters most. A flip through our May issue will reveal that family, community, company, and culture are all high on our list. I hope you enjoy what you find. Thanks as always for reading.
—James Fox-Smith, publisher
