Rookie: Yearbook One is the first book-length anthology of Rookie magazine, spun out of Style Rookie, a fashion, culture and lifestyle site started by Tavi Gevinson when she was 11 years old. Rookie is a kind of spiritual descendant of the late, lamented Sassy magazine, which tried to do for teen girls’ publishing what Ms did for women’s periodicals in the 1970s. Gevinson and her co-conspirators are talented and insightful writers with authentic voices, keen eyes and lots to say. Their layouts are daring and fun, the subject matter varied, and the approach runs a gamut from whimsical to deadly serious.
Rookie: Yearbook One is a beautifully produced book, with lots of fun bonuses bound into it (including a flexidisc!). Ira Glass is a kind of mentor to Gevinson, and if you like his work, you’ll recognize his influence on her’s. But despite all the heavy hitting adults in her orbit, Gevinson’s editorial direction is clearly of her own making. This is the kind of magazine I dream of giving to my own daughter some day. The anthology is the perfect gift for the smart young women in your life.
Angelenos can meet Gevinson and friends at a series of events next week, on November 9-10.
Click below for some samples from the book, courtesy of Drawn and Quarterly and Raincoast books.
