On the Cover

David Perry, Chronogram’s art director, has a penchant for designing elaborate calendars. But for this month’s cover, he decided to create something he calls “simple, elegant, and likely to end up under a magnet on the refrigerator.” At the bottom of the image, the word reborn appears next to www.chronogram.com. January 1 saw the relaunch of our website, Chronogram.com. The superior, radically different design includes streaming audio and video media. Visitors are able to watch short videos related to articles and other items of interest. For example, our November issue featured a piece on the Poilch Tallix foundry in Newburgh; site viewers are now able to watch a three-minute video tour given by CEO Dick Polich. Visitors can also listen to audio clips, such as “Crutch” by Michael Merenda, whose new CD, Quiver, is reviewed here. Not only is the new site easier on the eyes, it’s much more navigable, with categories like Food and Drink, Arts and Culture, News and Politics, and Whole Living arrayed across the menu bar in a more scannable, at-your-fingertips style. The calendar and directory listings formats have been reworked into more user-friendly designs. The new calendar allows visitors to select a date and click on the different listing categories (i.e., Music, Theater, Kids, Events) within that date, making it fast and simple to access up-to-the-minute information. And both the business directory and calendar feature functions offering maps and driving directions. Interactivity with our readers has always been a key component of our philosophy. On the new site, users will be able to post comments on different articles, creating a discussion forum for the Chronogram community. In addition to our popular 8-Day Week newsletter, visitors can subscribe to specialized newsletters that relate to specific topics such as film or music, as well as to a daily newsletter that lets them know what’s new to the site that day. And on the blog front, we’ve assembled a strong cast of informed writers to journal on their areas of expertise and to offer entertaining and provocative insights on subjects such as food, shopping, and sustainability. We invite you to visit the reborn Chronogram.com and explore its new features, and feel free to post your comments.