St. John Magazine garnered more positive press when publisher MaLinda Nelson appeared on Face to Face with Addie Ottley on WTJX Channel 12 Wednesday evening, December 12, to promote her latest venture.
Ottley invited Nelson to be a guest on his talk show after first seeing St. John Magazine on the newsstand at Chelsea Drug Store in Red Hook.
“St. Johnians, you gotta be proud of this,” Ottley said to his viewers. “I was so impressed.”
Nelson explained to Ottley how St. John Magazine, a dream of hers for two years, came to fruition.
“I love St. John, and I love who I work with,” said Nelson. “I wanted to showcase the island of St. John in a way I hadn’t seen before. I set this goal two years ago, and I just kind of jumped off the boat and did it.”
Nelson named the photographers who captured St. John for the magazine as pages from the publication were displayed on the screen, highlighting the M/V Cinnamon Bay, St. Johnian clothier Karen Samuel, La Tapa, and a full-page image of Delroy “Ital” Anthony carving a calabash.
“This photo really captured the spirit of indigenous crafts,” said Nelson of the photo taken by St. John Tradewinds staff photographer Eliza Magro. “It’s crucial we keep them alive.”
A Team Effort
The cover photo, an aerial view of the island’s East End captured by St. John photographer Steve Simonsen, “attracts you right away,” said Ottley.
“The quality of the magazine is what impresses me,” said the talk show host. “It’s really, really beautiful and I commend you and your staff. It’s top of the line, and everybody’s gotta get a copy.”
Following the live Wednesday evening broadcast, Nelson shared her gratitude for those who contributed to the magazine.
“I’m just so pleased with how great and warm the response has been, and I think ultimately it’s a collection of everybody who contributed that made it such a well-received publication,” said Nelson. “All the comments I’m getting are really comments about everybody who contributed. I want to make sure all the contributors know how well they did, and that it was a team effort.”
St. John Magazine is on newsstands across St. John and at Chelsea Drug Store in Red Hook on St. Thomas. For a sneak peek at the magazine and information on subscriptions, visit www.stjohnmagazine.com.
