The man behind Elgin's Bravo magazine

Jeffrey Pierce believes print gives places a sense of identity, which is why you won't find any stories on the website of his Bravo magazine. If you want to read it, you'll have to pick it up in your hands.

“Websites are a little too abstract,” the Elgin resident says. “Sure, you can find them all over the world, and there is social media. But it's different from walking through a place. I want to encourage people to be out and about, discover these locations (that have the magazine). Not make it easy for them to sit at home by themselves and view it online.”

The free monthly magazine focuses on all things Elgin culture, spotlighting the tapestry of people, organizations and events that make the city vibrant, he said.

“When I was of college-age, these type of things were commonplace in the city, and I happened to be a big fan. I relied on that for my social life,” he said. “It's kind of a dream, I suppose, to bring it back in a place that could support it. With the evolving arts climate here, I thought, 'Maybe the time is right.'”

Besides the recent addition of someone who helps sell ads, the magazine pretty much is a one-man operation.

Pierce, 52, has a day job in computer systems at a local commercial printer. He puts in about 10 hours a week — with a big burst on the last weekend of the month — to gather content for the magazine, which features an extensive list of local events and writing submitted by a variety of people and organizations.

He writes one story per issue, although he said he's trying to move away from that. He also creates ads for clients and lays out the magazine, all working out of his laptop in his home office.

On the last Wednesday of the month, he picks up from the printer the magazine's 3,000 copies — up from 1,000 when it launched in July — loads them in his car and zigzags throughout town that night and the next day to distribute them at coffee shops, restaurants, businesses, city buildings, the library, both colleges and the Metra station on Big Timber Road.

He's usually able to cover printing costs, which run less than $1,000, with ads, he said, and even increased the page count from 16 to 24 in November.

So far, he's loving the work, although he remains cautious, he said. “I'm taking it a month at a time. It's scary at times, I'll admit.”

Pierce said he used to write reviews of Elgin Symphony Orchestra concerts for The Courier-News and the defunct Boca Jump website. He also writes program notes for concerts of the Judson Civic Orchestra. “More than anything, I'm a writer, and I have these interests that I like to write about,” he said.

He compiles the events list, which runs several pages long, from websites such as the city of Elgin, the Gail Borden Public Library, the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin. He also includes readers' submissions and surfs the Internet “to pick things up along the way,” he said.

The magazine can be found in a few locations in South Elgin, but won't be expanding any time soon — and always will focus on Elgin, he said.

“There's plenty here in Elgin,” he said. “I don't want to become 'Fox Valley blablabla.'”