Add the dreamy, delightful Rookie magazine to the list of lauded, beloved magazines that is now shutting its doors. In a letter published Friday afternoon, Rookie founder Tavi Gevinson announced that the publication is no more. “In one way, this is not my decision, because digital media has become an increasingly difficult business, and Rookie in its current form is no longer financially sustainable,†she wrote. “And in another way, it is my decision—to not do the things that might make it financially sustainable, like selling it to new owners, taking money from investors, or asking readers for donations or subscriptions.â€
An unlikely cameo in Gevinson’s six page goodbye? The Summer of Scam, and New York’s account of the glorious grifter Anna Delvey. The Rookie founder describes seeking money from venture capitalists and angel investors, but feeling a sense of nagging fraud. “I was on the subway when I first saw the headline — something like, “Meet the Wannabe Socialite Who Scammed Her Way Into New York’s Fashion Elite†— and my heart sank,†Gevinson wrote. “The jig was up. It felt like everyone on the train was looking at me. I tapped on the article, shaking, already wondering why no one had told me that there was a viral story about my fraudulent life, and took a moment to fully believe that the girl in the photo was not me. No, I have never worn eyeliner like that. No, that is not my hair. No, I don’t remember this photo being taken. Oh, OK, this is another human being entirely. So, I took in this misunderstanding as a funny story about being insecure that I would tell to friends.â€