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Liberty is a leading libertarian journal founded in 1987 by R. W. Bradford (who was the magazine's publisher and editor until his death from cancer in 2005) in Port Townsend, Washington, and currently edited from San Diego, California, by Stephen Cox. Unlike Reason, which is printed on glossy paper and has full-color photographs, Liberty is printed on uncoated paper stock and has line drawing cartoons by S. H. (Scott) Chambers and Rex F. "Baloo" May, no photographs except for advertisements, and only one extra color (blue), which is limited to the cover and occasionally a few ads.

Bradford had planned the launch of Liberty for several years during the 1980s, waiting, in part, for the development of desktop publishing software to make the endeavor cost-effective for a short-run periodical. The magazine achieved Bradford's target circulation by the end of the first year of publication. Starting it as an arm of his private publishing business, he turned the magazine over to a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation (under his control) in 1993. In 1999, it moved from a bimonthly to a monthly publication schedule. With 2008, it will be published eleven times a year, with one issue being a "double issue."

The magazine's list of editors at start-up included Murray Rothbard; Karl Hess joined soon after. Both wrote for the magazine and both were featured prominently in subscription advertising. Rothbard left the masthead in 1990, following his break with the Libertarian Party and his public move towards paleolibertarianism; Hess stayed with the magazine until his death.

From the beginning, Liberty gave extensive coverage to the history of the libertarian movement, repeatedly focusing on the biography and legacy of Ayn Rand. The magazine offered the first printing of Rothbard's pamphlet The Sociology of the Ayn Rand Cult as its first subscription bonus. John Hospers's two-part series "Talking With Ayn Rand" was among the magazine's notable early publishing coups. Characteristically, Bradford juxtaposed scholarly, intellectual writing from philosophers such as Loren Lomasky and Jan Narveson and economists such as Mark Skousen, Doug Casey, Leland Yeager, and David Friedman, with work by virtually unknown, young, and unprofessional writers. With few exceptions, the magazine does not pay writers for their contributions.

Contributors and editors

Regular contributors include:

David Kopel, research director for the Independence Institute

Wendy McElroy, editor of the Individualist Feminist

William E. Merritt, senior fellow of the Burr Institute

Bruce Ramsey, journalist

Timothy Sandefur, College of Public Interest Law fellow at the Pacific Legal Foundation

Jane S. Shaw, Senior Associate of Property and Environment Research Center

Tim Slagle (personal website) stand-up comedian

David Weigel, journalist for Reason, Money and Campaigns and Elections

Leland Yeager, Ludwig von Mises distinguished Professor Emeritus of Economics at Auburn University

Contributing editors include:

David Boaz

Alan W. Bock

Bart Kosko

Richard Kostelanetz

Durk Pearson

Sandy Shaw

Thomas S. Szasz, psychiatrist

Departments

Reflections: short, often satirical articles

Terra Incognita: strange world news

External links

• Liberty official site
• Memoir of working for Liberty, by Timothy Virkkala