TOP MAGAZINES OF 2004

Bidoun. q. $36. Ed: Lisa Farjam. PO Box 20, Greenpoint Sta., Brooklyn, NY 11222-0201; www.bidoun.com. ISSN 1551-4048.

Bidoun sets a new standard: it presents Middle Eastern artistic traditions, lifestyle, and culture in a way that doesn't intimidate the average English-speaking reader. Well designed wit beautiful illustrations, Bidoun covers everything from Iranian cinema to Middle Eastern fashion, but its inclination to present controversial, edgy topics palatably and accessibly is perhaps the main reason why it belongs in most libraries. (LJ 1/05)