''Sunshine'' was a "feel good" monthly digest, filled with uplifting short articles and anecdotes. It was in circulation between 1924 and 1992.

Overview

''Sunshine'' was first published in January 1924. The magazine was subtitled ''A Soulful Magazet''. The issues were purposefully slim, often just 42 pages long, including the back cover, with short quick-to-read articles. Each page was filled with warm

anecdotes An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous, ...

and advice. Inside the front cover of many issues was an appeal on behalf of the Sunshine Magazet Circle of

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, an organization that distributed issues of ''Sunshine'' to "hospitals, old folks homes ic holiday guest centers, etc." It was a volunteer operation and readers were encouraged to buy an extra subscription for the use of that organization. Gospel singer Rosa Page Welch said that there were three things she saw everywhere in her world travels,

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Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

and ''Sunshine'' magazine. Published on

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, it was distributed worldwide. In the 1990s the magazine was published by Henrichs Publishing Inc. It ceased publication in 1992.

Religion

Many librarians grouped the title with religious titles, but it contained no overt

proselytism Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...

. Inside the front cover is the disclaimer "''Sunshine Magazine'' is not the instrument of any organizations or doctrine. In an Independent stature, its sole interest is to serve its readers." Although nonsectarian, ''Sunshine'' did not shy away from religious topics, generally slanted toward

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

. The ''Volumes of Sunshine'' offered for sale were suggested as gifts to clergymen, as well as social workers, teachers, speakers and radio broadcasters.

Good news

Printed inside the front cover was the assertion: "A little magazine of uplifting stories and anecdotes to cheer people up." It was similar in format to ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'' and ''

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''. Its stories were, however, much shorter. Examples of its content include: * "How to Be a Hero", Irving Leibowitz * "Frosting on the Cake," a periodic feature featuring five bullet points asserting the use of common sense

Volumes of ''Sunshine''

Annual editions of bound monthly issues were sold under the name "(Year) Volume of Sunshine" (e.g. "1963 Volume of "Sunshine). The annual volumes began with a comprehensive index of key topics, a section of the poetry included, and an author index. Alternatively, one could buy a "best of" edition called a ''Book of Sunshine'', 32-page, edited editions, culled from multiple editions of the slightly larger monthly magazine.

Legacy

''Sunshine'' was touted as a good place for new writers to get published. The headquarters building, House of Sunshine, was later renamed Sunshine Park.

References