Happy New Year! we’re ringing in 2011 by celebrating what The Voice Magazine is all about: outstanding writing and great selection.

As always, the first issue of January highlights some of the best work we’ve published during the preceding year. It also makes a nice snapshot of The Voice‘s focus. From personal accounts to historical reviews to interviews to analyses of current films, there’s truly something for everyone!

For example, we regularly feature thought-provoking commentary on privacy, the Internet, and other topics pertinent to our connected modern world. A good example is Sandra Livingston’s ?Public Masks, Private Lives,? dealing with our two-faced approach to online sharing.

And today’s other hot topics, trends, and current events aren’t ignored, either. Features, reviews, and interviews often tackle front burner (as well as lesser-known) social issues. Additionally, we regularly run pieces on environmental topics. This week’s ?Diet for a Healthy Planet? challenges some of our basic notions about food and drink.

In addition to environmental health, personal health is a regular mainstay in Voice fare. Katie D?Souza’s ?Health Matters? series investigates the hype behind current fads and popular trends in the alternative health field. This week, we’ve rerun her commentary on the health benefits of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And you thought you were breaking your diet!

For those looking for a human interest angle on issues or life, The Voice‘s varied reader base generates stories that are refreshingly unique. For example, AU student Maximilian L. Birkner’s Remembrance Day commentary?based on his experiences in Afghanistan?is a moving selection.

For a personal note on the everyday, readers look forward to Hazel Anaka’s column ?From Where I Sit,? which has been a Voice feature since 2003. Topics range from the informative to the inspirational to the conversational?or, in the case of this week’s piece, to the slightly fantastic.

You’ll also enjoy Wanda Waterman St. Louis’s interviews with up-and-coming artists, musicians, writers, and philanthropists in our regular ?In Conversation With . . .? series. The piece included here highlights Home Routes, a unique initiative in the Canadian folk music world.

For lovers of all things truly artistic, Wanda’s regular reviews of uniquely thought-provoking music, poetry, novels, non-fiction, and films are featured in her ?Mindful Bard? column. This week, she discusses a thrilling book explaining the psychological and scientific implications of the controversial ?third man? factor.

We frequently feature additional reviews, ranging from hard rock albums to biographies to horror films. Tamra Ross’s in-depth coverage of the horror film Splice is a careful consideration of some of the finer points of the film and of filmmaking in general.

And we publish original fiction works on their own, including short stories and poetry. Jennifer McNeil Bertrand’s ?Then Beggars Would Ride? is a moving tale of hope and hurt.

For those interested in the story behind the story, S.D. Livingston’s column ?Write Stuff? focuses on some of the issues facing today’s literary?and not-so-literary?world. Her provocative ?The Deep? is a wake-up call for all media consumers.

Last, but not least, The Voice frequently examines issues of interest to university students?and indeed to all who have a love of learning. This past year, Jason Sullivan’s series on various educational eras was informative yet intriguing. His commentary on educational practices in ancient India suggests that the Western models might have a lot to learn from those of long ago.

On a practical front, we’ve featured student profiles, interviews with campus personalities, and articles on study tactics, student cheating, and more. The selection this week challenges the widely-held notion of a study space as a necessity for successful learning. Who knew?

Each week, The Voice Magazine offers a varied selection of unique, intriguing, and entertaining material. But this week, we’re putting forward our own picks for best of 2010. Enjoy browsing our annual Best of the Voice issue, and be sure to join us as we make 2011 our best year yet!