Letter from the Editor: Year-End Issue 2011

In the musical Rent, which I was not at all predictably obsessed with as a '90s high school drama student and whose songs I certainly do not perform at karaoke nights to this day, the characters usher in New Year's Eve by reflecting on the past "525,600 minutes" and wondering aloud - in full harmony, of course - how one can "measure a year." As 2011 winds down, I'm sure we could all make laundry lists of mundane events that trace our personal trajectories through the last 12 months. I know I could convert my year into words written, pages filled, parking tickets accrued, and unnecessary calories consumed. (Considering all the food coverage in STUFF, I'm sure you understand why I shudder to think about that final number.)

Of course, the big events matter as much as the minutiae - and they rarely leave us ending a year looking (metaphorically or, if these rapidly multiplying gray hairs are any indication, literally) the same way we started it. I end 2011 as the editorial director of STUFF and the uncle of a college student. I was neither when the year started. You've probably reached plenty of professional and personal milestones yourself. (Aren't they nice, when they're not making you feel, like, old?)

Boston changed too. The city's landscape is always in flux, and this year we experienced both minor rumblings and huge tectonic shifts. So in "Final Exam", we serve up a pop (culture) quiz on some of the 2011 happenings in the Hub's dining, fashion, nightlife, and entertainment scenes. And in "Placing Our Bets", we consider some speculative statements about 2012 - and give gambling-style odds on whether they'll come true. But we're not totally consumed with reflecting on the past or predicting the future: for our fashion spread "Noir Is the New Black", we took cues from classic Hollywood cinema to create glamorous looks that are totally au courant (and perfect for - oh, I don't know - a New Year's Eve on the town).

We can only guess at what 2012 will bring (though we do consult a medium for meditation tips here). But I see great things on the horizon for STUFF. In fact, this seems like an appropriate opportunity to welcome a new member of the family: Miles Howard, our talented, intrepid staff writer, who joined us in the throes of the holiday season. (Brave soul.) With new blood and new ideas, we have an amazing year ahead. The opportunities are, well, immeasurable.