Maayan - History

History

Maayan is edited by Roy Arad and Joshua Simon. The magazine is a forum for poetry and art from Israel (Jewish and Arab) and beyond. From the opening statement of issue #1: In its journey to the shelves, Maayan's poetic proposal entails a risk: according to preconceived standards, it is not clear if it qualifies as poetry at all. Maayan's poets write, like a child riding a tricycle through heavy traffic..."

The second issue of Maayan was released in December 2005, and was twice as big. It included a film magazine called Maarvon.

Maayan's fourth issue came out in March 2008. It featured over 300 pages and 40 new writers, making it 70 plus contributors all together with the visual artists. From vol.3 opening arguments: ".. In Maayan we apply the politics of first name. Maayan, bottom line, is a name of a girl. The state of the Israeli language and discourse today demands first name politics as opposed to metaphorical and hollow trademarks such not calling the summer "feud" between Israel and Lebanon what it was - a war, and calling Israel's ruling party Kadima and meaningless name instead of "The National Responsibility" as it was meant to be named, because of PR consideration. Maayan - for better and for worse hales for the concrete. The words in the magazine are not a mere shadow of the events, happenings and reality, they try to describe and tell what is, specifically as possible. The Bombing of the Gaza Strip, the 2006 Lebanon War and the disappointment from Amir Peretz are weaved and integrated throughout its pages. "

Maayan is published in 4000 copies.