Schmaltz Appeal

摘要

The story of American magazine's cre-ation is one that might be found on its own pages: Mignonne Wright, dreaming of publishing a national magazine, took a deep breath and called Wal-Mart headquarters in October 2002. Her idea: an un-Cosmopolitan. Where the established women's magazines compete to see who can publish the raciest cover photo or give the most advice about orgasms, Wright would celebrate small-town life the way Norman Rockwell did. She would publish features on block parties, balloon rides and blues festivals. Wright, a Memphis resident, believed passionately in the concept, but even she was amazed when Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer, summoned her to its headquarters. The next day Wright and her business partner, Jill Singer, took turns reading aloud from Made in America, Sam Walton's autobiography, during the five-hour drive to Bentonville, Ark.