Backbencher

North & South is a general interest magazine published in New Zealand. Bearing the tagline, "Thinking New Zealand" the periodical presents a wide array of topics concerning political, cultural and social affairs throughout the country. The issue I chose to read was the May 2007 edition which featured "The Power of Over-40s Women" as the cover story. This was an interesting article which presented parallels between the US and NZ in terms of "ageism" directed toward this portion of society and offers examples of women who have overcome adversity to succeed in their respective fields. The other featured segments include a retrospective on the life of a well-known former heroin addict titled "Junkie Reincarnate Tim Harding," and an article detailing a young up and coming filmmaker. These were well-written stories that I could see appearing in American magazines such as The New Yorker or The New York Times Magazine. The other two feature articles tie well into our discussions on mythhistory, or the creation of a cultural identity. In an article titled "Mind That Child" the author, Jenny Chamberlain, presents a bill banning "smacking" as a means of correcting child behavior in a positive light. She insists that this is a "crucial step" in addressing NZ's "shameful child abuse record." The bill then, would be characterized as another step in NZ's progression as a socially advanced nation. The final featured article, "Wide White Land" explore the special place the exploration of Antarctica has had on NZ's history and culture. Beyond these features, there are many small articles focusing on various interesting people, places or things within NZ. Overall, the magazine was entertaining and interesting and could be enjoyed by nearly any segment of society.