Once upon a time, Terri Provencal was the publisher of Modern Luxury Dallas. She resigned in 2008 to launch something called the Provencal Consulting Group. Then, last winter, she started a quarterly magazine called Patron, which I believe is not pronounced like the tequila. According to its website, Patron is direct-mailed to 15,000 households, and it reaches 240,000 arts patrons (!). A hint as to how the magazine is able to reach that many people can be found here: “Beautifully printed on an oversized format, our sophisticated readership will be treated to a definitive insider’s looked [sic] at our flourishing arts scene.” I will need to discuss this with our circulation department. Printing your own readership? Genius.
Anyway, I missed the first issue, published in winter 2011. But I just got a chance to read the spring 2012 issue cover to cover. And here’s what I love about Patron: rarely does anyone ever say something in its pages. No, profile subjects enthuse. Sources add. They acknowledge. When it comes to attributions, Patron is not afraid to get creative.
Herewith, a tally of every single attribution from the spring 2012 issue of Patron, for your perusal:
says 34
adds 13
notes 13
explains 9
affirms 3
reflects 3
admits 2
acknowledges
adds in conclusion
asserts
assesses summarily
enthuses
points out
ponders
proclaims
recalls
recalls with a shy laugh
remembers
replies
reveals philosophically
says in conclusion
says adamantly
says proudly
says, stating flatly
says modestly
The most impressive thing about this list, to me, is that not once in the 96 pages of the winter 2012 issue did a single person opine. Kudos to you, Patron. Well played.
