To all our subscribers who responded so generously to our Christmas appeal, our profound thanks. We received more than 100 new subscriptions last month. For those subscribers who, in the midst of the holiday excitement, set our letter aside, and for the rest of our readers, we say again:

THE SUN needs your help.

Giving THE SUN as a gift is a good way to share the magazine with someone you love, and it helps us continue with our work.

This year, it’s especially important. THE SUN survives because of the hard work, and generosity, of a handful of people. That burden needs to be more widely shared. Good intentions, and hard work, do not insure survival. Simply put, we need money. And more subscriptions mean more money.

THE SUN was started with a $50 investment. It was never intended to be a “money-making” venture: we simply want to make enough to pay the bills, and pay ourselves a subsistence salary ($400 month). That is still a struggle.

We need to double our circulation for the magazine to pay for itself. If each of our readers bought a gift subscription for a friend, or relative, that goal would be accomplished.

I’m prejudiced. I want THE SUN to endure, as a vehicle for the richly diverse expression of our spirit. We all create the magazine. In a very real sense, you’re as responsible for its continuation as we are.

There’s a subscription card in this issue. If THE SUN matters to you, please use it. (If you’ve got an extra $100 in the bank, why not become a Sustaining–Lifetime–Subscriber? We’ll put the money to better use than your bank.)

Again, thanks to those of you who have already answered this appeal. We apologize for repeating ourselves, but to assure that this miracle of a magazine repeat itself each month, that’s sometimes necessary.

— Sy