Words From the Wise
Words from the wise
UP FRONT
David Edwards
PIECES OF ADVICE ARE A LOT LIKE cops: In times of need, there never seems to be a good one around.
For day-to-day advice, I favor the novelist Nelson Algren, who wrote, “Never eat at a place called Mom's; never play poker with a man called Doc; and never sleep with a woman who has more problems than you have.” Now, while that pearl of wisdom will see you through a lot of life’s little situations, it does diddley if you’re seeking counsel on the black art of being the Editor of a motorcycle magazine, the title now embossed on my Cycle World business cards.
It was the Greek poet Virgil who advocated, “Believe one who has proved it. Believe an expert.” When it comes to heading this magazine, there just aren’t many experts to believe—five, to be exact, because that’s the number of men who have preceeded me as Editor in Cycle Worlds 27-year history.
Joe Parkhust is the guy who brought Cycle World to life back in 1962. As we said in our 20th Anniversary issue, Joe was simply “a bike nut who thought motorcycle magazines could be better.” He was right: Within the year, Cycle World was the industry’s best-seller, and other magazines had to become harder-hitting and more-honest if they wanted to keep up.
Today, Joe lives a few miles from the Cycle World offices and drops in frequently. He is still involved with the sport, running a newsletter and a small advertising agency. When I asked Joe for advice, what he said, basically, was do what he did. “Use a shotgun instead of a rifle. Fan out: As long as it has two wheels, cover it. Cycle World was always meant to be a magazine devoted to all motorcycles, with no restrictions. Communicate that devotion to the reader. Be honest, thorough and objective, and never be afraid to be critical. Be sophisticated, but remember that you still have to have fun.”
Ivan J. Wagar took over the editorial reins in 1966. An engineerturned-roadracer-and-journalist, Ivan, from the age of 15, “knew that come hell or high water, my life would be devoted to two-wheelers.”
These days, Ivan is retired and leads a pastoral life in Washington state, where he restores and sails wooden boats (when he’s not working on his 1953 NSU Sportmax), and his wife runs a bed-and-breakfast inn. As for advice, Ivan’s words were few but said a lot. “Cycle World has always had a pretty mature editorial policy compared to some of its competition. It doesn’t fluctuate and has a more-balanced approach. I wouldn't do a whole bunch of things differently.”
In 1974, Ivan stepped down and Bob Atkinson stepped up. Bob was a true rags-to-riches story, as he began his Cycle World career working summers as a “go-fer,” washing bikes and delivering letters. His first act as Editor was to start a column called Up Front, a telling title that I've revived for my monthly column.
For the past three years. Bob and his wife have run their own advertising agency, and, in time off, they hit the sand dunes for weekends of ATVing with their kids. Bob warned against looking at the world through California-tinted glasses. “It's easy to do, with most of the industry centered here, but always remember there are 49 other states out there. Also, I assumed that what I liked, everybody else liked. That’s not necessarily true; you have to have a story balance that appeals to everybody.”
Allan Girdler followed Bob as Editor in 1977, and in many ways is responsible for me being here now. As a journalism student and struggling freelancer in 1981, I’d sent Allan some race photos along with a letter asking how to break into the magazine business. He rejected the photos as “not good enough,” but gave me some advice in a note that I still keep.
“Complete your education,” he wrote, “then let the various editors know you want work. When they know who you are, and the quality of your work, when a job comes open, you'll have a shot. They should call you, in a perfect world, but they won’t, so be ready to call them.” Three years later, Allan called. He needed a new Feature Editor, and I thought the world was a pretty perfect place.
Nowadays, Allan chuffs around on his Sportster or XR750, and writes books. His current project deals with stock-car racing; two previous books, very well-received, were about Harleys. His advice to me today? “Don’t ever forget you're a motorcycle nut. The minute you aren't one, quit. Period.”
The man who’s headed-up Cycle World for the past four-and-a-half years has been Paul Dean. Working for Paul has been like having a journalism professor who can help you sort out a story lead, and then suit up and show you the fast line through Turn Two at Willow Springs. You learn a lot.
While you won't be seeing Paul’s byline or photo nearly as often on these pages, his influence will still be felt. Paul is now Editorial Director of both Cycle World and our sister magazine, Cycle. Our parent company, Diamandis Communications, has owned both magazines since 1986, a slightly uncomfortable situation that’s seen the magazines continually bumping heads. With Paul looking after the big picture, each publication will now have a more-distinct voice, and cover subjects from different angles. Paul’s advice, before handing over the keys to the store, was, “Don't forget who you're doing this for: the reader. He’s the boss, the one who pays the bills. A lot of people in this business end up writing just for their peers; you know, ‘Wait’ll the guys at the other magazines see this.’ What you should be thinking is, ‘Wait'll the guy in Keokuk, Iowa, sees this.’”
Gentlemen, thank you for the words of wisdom. I'll remember them and refer to them from time to time. And thanks for delivering something else to me, something I'll cherish and pass on when the time comes: the best damn motorcycle magazine in the world.
