September 1995, pg. 122

Publishers' Page

What Happened to the Summer Doldrums?

We thought we'd take advantage of them for some cozy country profiles, based on our spring travels. In June we did Kuwait, in July/August Oman, and in this issue Saudi Arabia.

But Saudi Arabia's Big and Suddenly...

Things began heating up in the region. Go or no go for an interim agreement in Israel/Palestine? Some American leadership, at last, in Bosnia! And the frightened, fractured Saddam Hussain family in Iraq.

So to Cover All of That...

We gave up some Saudi space. Our apologies to the writers who rushed to finish their Saudi ruminations in time for the September issue. We'll publish them in October/November and move back our next three planned country portraits on the UAE, Yemen, and Pakistan, accordingly.

If Any of Our Readers...

Would like to become writers on any of those three countries (or Saudi Arabia)—first-hand personal reminiscences about how things used to be there, for instance—let us know what you have in mind (or, better yet, submit it) and we'll talk.

Next Month Also...

We'll be sending the October/November issue in a plastic wrapping that will contain your Washington Report calendar for 1996 and also an order form listing every book in the AET Book Club catalog, by author, for convenient one-stop holiday shopping. Giving books, particularly those in our two-for-the-list-price-of-one category, is a quick and economical way to deal with a long holiday gift list while helping us and your pocketbook as well. (Can we or you help it if the price on the jacket is twice what you actually paid?)

Goodbye to Two Troupers...

We've gotten a little behind on personnel changes, as a glance at our masthead shows. Last January Vince Truman, who spent four years with AET, first as a student intern, then Book Club manager and finally as business manager, headed for the University of Texas, where he will be the fourth AET employee to enter graduate studies there over the 13 years we've been in business. Meanwhile Greg Noakes, an American convert to Islam who came to us from the University of Texas graduate program five years ago and served first as advertising manager and then as news editor, has departed for a period of residence in the Middle East. He's still with us in spirit, however, since he left us a portfolio of his "Issues in Islam" and other articles (see page 32 of this issue) that may even last until he comes back.

Trying on Those Big Shoes Are...

Shawn Twing, who took his M.A. from Northeastern University early this year, and Dokhi Fassihian, who started as a student intern in 1994 and went full-time this spring after she received her B.A. from George Mason University. They've divided chores in a manner that only fellow members of the "X" generation really can understand, with Shawn serving as news editor and advertising director and Dokhi as business manager and public relations director. If things go better, it's thanks to them. If they don't, it's probably because members of the World War II, flower child and boomer generations still clutter up the rest of our tiny table of organization.

Circulation's Up, But Only By...

About 300 subscriptions per issue. We need help from those who can afford to donate subscriptions to opinion molders, those who think they know someone who would be interested, and those who are reading these words standing up at a newsstand or sitting at a public or school library table. If you like what you're reading, subscribe! We need your support and you need what we can tell you. Especially if you're among...

National Collegiate Debating...

Competitors at 160 U.S. colleges and universities who this year will be debating whether or not U.S. security assistance should be increased to Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. With our magazine in your corner, you can hardly lose and...

Your Opponents Are Dead Meat.

Unless, of course, they subscribe too! If you would like to arrange special discount subscriptions for the period of the debate only for your entire team, call circulation director Sabrina Ousmaal (press 2 on our toll-free number 1-800-368-5788) and tell her your needs.

We Lose Readers Only...

When they die or move without sending their forwarding address directly to us, since a notice to the post office doesn't cut it for fourth-class mail, which is the el cheapo cover under which we send our first-class magazine. You must send us your forwarding address directly, or call our circulation department. We also sometimes lose readers who think they've subscribed through a membership organization like ADC or CNI, each of which has rules of its own. If our magazine really is important to you, play it safe and subscribe directly.

Saudi Alert!

Most of the photos on pages 47 and 58 are from a beautiful new coffee table book, Al Janadriya, published both in English and in Arabic in Saudi Arabia. The book is described on page 57 but what we didn't say is that we're prepared to bring in a bunch of them at below the cost in Saudi Arabia (around $40) if enough readers are interested. If you have $30 to spend on a beautiful souvenir of your days there, or a gift for someone who's been there or is thinking of going, write or call (1-800-368-5788 and press 4) Book Club manager Ely Dieng and leave your name and number. Don't pay yet. We have to know first if interest is high enough to buy a containerful for surface shipment and big savings.

Thanks to Our 1994 Donors...

Every public or school library in America that has expressed an interest in getting a donated subscription to this magazine now has one for 1995. At present the magazine goes to at least 4,000 libraries. (Sometimes it's hard to tell in the case of libraries that use subscription services, since other institutions like government agencies, embassies and university departments use the same services.) Once a library starts, it generally renews at its own expense when we send a renewal notice to the librarian.

But There Are Always New Takers...

When we send our annual circular to 18,000 libraries in the U.S. telling them about the periodicals and book packets we have for libraries that agree to put book or magazine donations into their circulation or reference collections.

We're in the Process Right Now...

Of sending some 2,500 book donation packets, plus surplus copies of recent issues of the Washington Report, to libraries that requested them the last time we circularized them all. When that's finished it's time to start all over again, using both your personal orders for your own public or school libraries, and your untied donations to the tax-exempt AET Library Endowment (Federal ID #52-1460362). With a lot more of that kind of tax-exempt giving you can...

Make a Difference, This Month!