About 300 magazines, of every description, are announced each year. The odds are 10 to 1 against any of them surviving.

For a little magazine without outside funding, six years is a ripe old age. THE SUN, from its beginnings as a small pamphlet circulated in Chapel Hill, has evolved into a national magazine which attracts the writing of strong-minded individuals from coast to coast.

THE SUN also prints writing by people who don’t think of themselves as writers: craftspeople, farmers, businesspeople, artists. As Daniel Lusk said on National Public Radio:

The letters from readers grousing about the insanity of industry and the outrage of funeral costs and the plight of turtles during migration are . . . heartening. Here is an orderly but unpredictable, inexpensive little magazine that seems devoted to airing people’s opinions and experiences of the world we all share.

Yes, there are real people behind THE SUN. THE SUN has no ideology: no left, right, or center party line to peddle. It is, rather, a vehicle for the richly diverse expression of our spirits. The spiritual teacher Ram Dass says:

THE SUN continues to shine, warming us and helping to light the way. To pursue a life of Spirit does not mean to transcend aesthetics. THE SUN reminds us of the possibility of the marriage of art and Spirit.

And Rain magazine describes us as:

. . . an unexpected gem . . . pervaded with a beautiful spiritual quality but without the jargon and trappings . . . it leaves a wonderful warm glow.

In today’s SUN, you’ll find articles, interviews, cartoons, book reviews, photography, poetry and beautiful graphics. It’s a magazine people keep, and share with their friends.

If you’re not already a subscriber, why not subscribe today? There’s a card in this issue, or you can write THE SUN, 412 West Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514. A one-year subscription is $12.

If you’re already a subscriber, think about giving THE SUN as a gift. It’s the ideal present for friends who’d share your enthusiasm for a totally independent journal which has printed the unusual, stimulating views of George Wald, Paolo Soleri, Robert Bly, Stephen Gaskin, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Swami Muktananda and others.

Join us.