From the Editor

As I write this from my home office, we are enjoying the official first day of autumn here in Baltimore. It struck me that our work on this issue began more than a season ago, well before the summer solstice.

Like a fine wine, producing a thoughtfully-crafted issue of the magazine takes time — time for our writers to conduct lengthy interviews with faculty and patients. Time for many, many rounds of editing. Time for back-and-forth with our photographers and illustrators (in different time zones from around the world) as we brainstorm creative visual approaches to support our storytelling. Time to finetune the issue’s design and layout — including time for the inevitable trimming of copy (despite my best intentions, we often write long). By the time that we are ready to go to press, an entire season has passed.

We live in an internet age of immediate and democratized content production — when videos bring near instantaneous coverage of events half a world away, and most anyone can create a blog or podcast and put it out for the world to consume. There is value in that, for sure. But I’m grateful there is still a place for publications produced at a slower pace: a pace that allows for thoughtfulness, refinement and professional collaboration.
I hope you are, too.

Sue De Pasquale

Feedback

I always enjoy reading the Hopkins Medicine magazine. It’s interesting and well-written. But I have an issue with the title of the article “Zeitgeist of the Times” [Annals, Spring/Summer 2024]. Since zeitgeist is literally “spirit of the times,” the title is redundant.

Anita Mancoll

I enjoyed the current edition of Hopkins Medicine, as usual with a good mix of topics and excellent writing. However, the font size is uncomfortably small for me and I have 20/20 vision. I printed out several samples and the font size appears to be about 8 points, according to the printout I made. This is smaller than JAMA, which reduced point size a year or so ago. I guess this is to keep the word count while reducing paper use?

A Longtime Reader

Hopkins Medicine is a good way to “keep up” — but as an elderly devotee, I find small print and faded ink uncomfortable. Please use black ink and reasonable font size to accommodate your elderly constituency.

Roy S. Weiner, M.D., Intern, 1967–68

Thanks to those who have been in touch to share concerns about readability. We hear you and are looking to make some type size adjustments as we move forward. —Editor

Tell Us What You Think

We’d love to know your thoughts about this issue of Hopkins Medicine magazine. Please drop a note to Sue DePasquale ([email protected]) with your feedback.