The Bark Wins 2000 Alternative Press Award

The Bark magazine today won an Alternative Press Award for outstanding achievement in independent publishing. The Bark is the first pet publication to ever win such a distinction. The Alternative Press Awards are sponsored by Utne Reader, in recognition of the very best in alternative and independent publishing. “All year long we immerse ourselves in more than 1,300 lively and important publications, digging for gems of wisdom and insight and soul,” said Jay Walljasper, editor of Utne Reader. “There’s so much good work that deserves greater public attention. That’s why we honor great publications with the Alternative Press Awards.” Other winners include Mother Jones, The American Scholar, Audubon, Ms. and Transition. The Bark received the award in the category of Personal Life Coverage—“For anyone who thinks the canine cranium holds nothing but visions of fire hydrants and open car windows, we highly recommend The Bark, a quarterly about life with dogs that’s engaging enough to bring even cat lovers to heel.”

“This award not only honors the quality writing, illustration and design that go into The Bark—but also recognizes our readers, the vibrant community of dog people, as a force to be reckoned with,” said co-founding editor Claudia Kawczynska.

“In today’s world of consolidated media sources—it’s important that alternative voices be heard and recognized—these perspectives are shaping our society every bit as much as those of the media conglomerates,” added co-founding publisher Cameron Woo.

The Bark, the publication that Esquire called “the coolest dog magazine ever,” was founded in 1996 by Kawczynska and Woo, in Berkeley, California. It began life as an advocacy newsletter for off-leash parks but soon connected with a national audience and a broad range of canine-related topics. In its current glossy, 4-color format, The Bark showcases a literate and entertaining approach to living with dogs, featuring the work of Rick Bass, Caroline Knapp, James Thurber, Ian Shoales and Lynda Barry among others. A sampling of The Bark’s content and its newly launched e-store can be found on the award-winning web site, www.thebark.com.

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