Fact (American magazine)
 | |
 Cover of the September-October 1964 issue | |
| Editor | Ralph Ginzburg |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Publisher | Trident Press |
| Founded | 1964 |
| First issue | January 1964 |
| Final issue | August 1967 |
| Country | US |
| Based in | New York City |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0429-9825 |
| OCLC | 1568723 |
Fact, stylized fact:, was an American quarterly magazine that commented on controversial topics. It was in circulation between January 1964 and August 1967.[1]
History
Established in January 1964,[1] the publisher of Fact was Trident Press based in New York City.[2] The magazine was edited by Ralph Ginzburg and Warren Boroson[3][4] and designed by Herb Lubalin.[5][6] Ginzburg was known for having previously published the magazine Eros.[6][7] Due to the content of that magazine, Ginzburg was sentenced to prison on obscenity charges.[8][7] It described itself as a "bimonthly of uncompromising truth".[4] One of the editors of fact: was Robert Anton Wilson, a prolific science fiction author whose works include the Illuminatus! series.[6]
In its first issue, it contained a lengthy criticism of Time magazine, including 25 pages of letters from people claiming to have been hurt by its coverage.[4][6] This issue also included an interview from Ginzburg with neo-Nazi George Lincoln Rockwell, titled "The Man Who Thinks Goldwater is a Communist".[4][6][7] Another article in the issue discussed the sexual symbolism of the Christmas holiday.[6]
Fact was notable for having been sued by Barry Goldwater over a 1964 issue entitled "The Unconscious of a Conservative: A special Issue on the Mind of Barry Goldwater". In Goldwater v. Ginzburg, a federal jury awarded Goldwater $1 in compensatory damages and $75,000 in punitive damages, to punish Ginzburg and the magazine for being reckless. The American Psychiatric Association then issued the Goldwater rule reaffirming medical privacy and forbidding commenting on a patient whom the individual psychiatrist has not personally examined.[9]
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the award and the Supreme Courts denied a petition for certiorari (review); Justice Black and Justice Douglas joined a dissenting opinion, rather unusual at the time (1970) on orders denying "cert."[10]
References
- 1 2 3 Maria Popova (January 5, 2011). "Ralph Ginzburg's fact: Vintage Wikileaks?". Brain Pickings. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1967: July–December. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1971. p. 1793. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ↑ Meggs, Philip B. (March–April 1994). "Two Magazines of the Turbulent '60s: a '90s Perspective". Print. Vol. 48. pp. 68–77. OCLC 201042699.
- 1 2 3 4 Denby, David R. (March 11, 1964). "Throwing Pies". Columbia Daily Spectator. Vol. CVIII, no. 88. p. 2. Retrieved April 19, 2026 – via Columbia University Libraries.
- ↑ "Eros, Fact and Avant Garde". designishistory.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Frauenfelder, Mark (January 2, 2019). "Archive of the incredible mid-1960s magazine, "fact:"". Boing Boing. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Donnelly, Tom (January 15, 1964). "Mr. Ginzburg Promises a New Offensive". The Washington Daily News. p. 23. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Oddball Attacks Center on Barry Goldwater". The Register-Mail. August 7, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ↑ Richard A. Friedman (May 23, 2011). "How a Telescopic Lens Muddles Psychiatric Insights". New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
- ↑ 414 F.2d 324, 337 (2d Cir.1969), cert. denied, 396 US 1049, 90 S.Ct. 701, 24 L.Ed.2d 695.
Further reading
- Ginzburg, Ralph; Boroson, Warren (1967). The Best of Fact: Thirty-Two Articles that have made History from America's Most Courageous Magazine. Trident Press. OCLC 1368372.
- Goldwater v. Ginzburg, 414 F.2d 324, 337 (2d Cir.1969), cert. denied, 396 US 1049, 90 S.Ct. 701, 24 L.Ed.2d 695.
- "Flat File N°1 – Fact Magazine". Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography. February 16, 2016.