Letters to the Editor – December 2006
From September 1997 to November 1998, the original Being A Broad magazine was a source of entertainment, information, and inspiration to foreign women living throughout Japan. When co-publishers Caroline Pover and Emily Downey decide to re-launch the magazine, former readers, contributors, and fans sent their words of encouragement, found below. But don’t get the wrong idea — we’re not always going to toot our own horn. This page is about you and your ideas, so don’t be shy.
From Cressida Howard:
Girls, broads, women. If you have half as much fun as I had helping out on the magazine, you are in for a very good time indeed. It’s such a treat to work with a group of women on something meaningful, worthwhile, stimulating, and a bloody good laugh. I think women’s humor is by nature irreverent, warm and frequently hysterical. That was my experience of working with Caroline. Through helping out with the magazine I made one of my best friends ever (ah!), not to mention the other fantastic women, the group hilarity, the fun, the laughs, the interesting things that happened to us (many of them unpublishable!). I envy you the opportunity to do it all again, and urge anyone who is thinking of getting involved to go for it. There is no such thing as a cool reception from Caroline. Tokyo can be a hugely overwhelming and sometimes isolating place to be. But for broads in Tokyo that is a thing of the past. You will soon know how lucky you are!
From Tom Boatman, President/Principal Native Creative YK:
When I first saw the publication, I thought, “What a great idea, and what a great name.” Then I was angry because I hadn’t thought of it first. At the time, it was a bright spot in what had become a dull and predictable climate for English publications in Japan.
From Las Vegas, Nevada resident Barbara Manning:
All the best with your magazine and all your endeavors. You really are an inspiration to many. Great news that Being A Broad magazine is back in business. I was an avid reader of it for its inspiration, its style, and its perky attitude. I want a subscription! All the best!
From Anita Lee, the broad at Go Mobile:
Congratulations on your re-launch of Being A Broad! Your new, much-needed publication will be indispensable reading for all (and we bet more than a few males will be reading a copy!).
From Julie Maeda, Senior Partner Canning LLP:
Finally a magazine for foreign women in Japan. I am certain it will be successful with such an amazing, dynamic team of women behind it. Can’t wait to read about how to deal with sexism in the boardroom (and not just from the Japanese), where to buy knickers that flatten your bottom rather than lift it up, and how to stay looking as immaculate as Japanese women through the heat of a Tokyo summer. Congratulations!
