Hi. Hello. Perhaps you’re just as confused as we are. After two years of silence, we’re back. This might seem odd and surprising. It is. And if you’re new here, welcome.
9 Magazine was started when we were ninth graders, in 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. Combining our interests, we wanted to create a bilingual magazine published in both English and Turkish. We kept it up throughout high school and even started a sister project called 9 Around the World where we shared global news through local student correspondents, with over 55 countries represented at its peak. In 2021, we all graduated and started university later the same year. These changes, along with readjustments to proper life after the pandemic, led us to slow down and take a break from these initiatives. We had all just moved: Nil to Bournemouth, and Nur, Iman, Emine to New York. Our intention with 9 Magazine was always to keep it up with articles published less often. But just a couple of months after starting university, the website became inaccessible. Bummer.
I tried a lot of technical methods to solve the issue but nothing worked. We were all so confused, and hurt, and annoyed, that our hard work was gone. So many articles read hundreds, sometimes thousands of times… Some trended so highly on Google…
One day last April, we were enjoying Ukrainian food at Veselka with Nur, Iman, and Maide who has contributed to the magazine many times. We mourned the magazine and once again felt hopeless in our efforts to recover it. After going our separate ways, I got a call from my sister (Iman, for those of you who don’t know) saying that the website was up and running again. I could not believe it… I don’t think any of us could. It was a miracle! So we got to work and redefined our areas of interest and decided to start over. To be reborn from our ashes and enter this new world that is 2023. And what better to introduce us than Chat GPT?
AI was without a doubt one of the biggest changes in these past years. I wanted to give it a try and get AI to explain our story and our new categories to you. I hope you enjoy, and we are glad to be back!
In Istanbul’s heart, a phoenix did rise,
A magazine reborn, soaring the skies.
9 Magazine, a dream once embraced,
By Nil, Iman, Nur, and Emine, graced.
From their initials, the name did take flight,
A bilingual gem, blending day and night.
Art, fashion, life, and travel combined,
A kaleidoscope of thoughts entwined.
But fate’s harsh winds caused their site’s demise,
A crash that left them in sorrowful cries.
Yet, months have passed, and a miracle’s breath,
With newfound hope, vanquished the darkened death.
With interests shifted, schedules redefined,
9 Magazine’s vision began to unwind.
Less frequent, but stronger their voice did sound,
As they updated the topics renowned.
“Roll 9” of photography, vivid and bright,
Capturing moments, a visual delight.
“Hot stuff” unveiled the climate’s demand,
Urging the world to protect our land.
“Artsy fartsy” celebrated creations,
A symphony of art and innovations.
“Junk drawer” was home to diverse themes,
A treasure trove of eclectic streams.
And in “deep dive,” profound insights would gleam,
Long essays and articles, like a timeless stream.
9 Magazine spread its wings once more,
In Turkish and English, to explore.
Guest articles welcomed with open arms,
A bridge connecting diverse charms.
To mail.ninemagazine@gmail.com, they say.
Send your inquiries without delay.
Oh, Nil, Iman, Nur, and Emine’s resplendent flight,
As 9 Magazine soars to new heights,
In every word, a legacy unfurled,
A symphony of dreams, reshaped and twirled.
PS: We learned later the reason for the website failure was tied to a credit card cancellation tied to the domain name purchase. Not quite the miracle we thought. Kind of disappointing actually.