Utah Holiday magazine - a major forum for free-lance journalists, poets, investigative reporters, artists, photographers, fiction writers and pundits for 22 years - will cease publication with the June issue.

"Rather than cut corners and sacrifice the quality and integrity the magazine has achieved . . . we've decided to preserve the publication's integrity and give it a dignified burial," said UH publisher Barbara Cumming, who bought the magazine eight months ago."It did not turn around as quickly as I needed it to," said Cumming, adding that she had originally promised herself she would give it six months and then decide whether to keep publishing.

"I didn't have the heart to stop (at six months) even though I knew then we should discontinue then,"she said.

Cumming blamed a "lack of advertising support" for the decision. "It's unfortunate, it's cruel, but that's the reality."

Utah Holiday's staff of 11 people will lose their jobs, but a large array of contributors to the magazine will also lose their main source for seeing their work in print.

Bob Coles, who launched UH in October 1971, said he was disappointed but "a little numb" at Cumming's decision because of previous disappointments over his "baby."

"It's like when someone has been sick for a long time and finally dies. You're sad but also a little relieved."

Coles said he had high hopes when Cumming took over UH "that she would have the wherewithall to last it out until she could make it profitable." Paid subscriptions were around 14,000 when he sold it in 1987 after 17 years as publisher, but that figure has eroded to about 7,500 today.

He said he burned himself out keeping the magazine going "on a pittance" and added that he didn't realize how tired he was until he had gotten out of it.

Paul Swenson, UH editor during most of Coles ownership, termed the loss of the magazine "appalling." He said he and an unnamed partner were "within a heartbeat" of buying the magazine a year ago but the deal fell through. Asked whether he would now be interested he said he would have to "look closely" at it.

"The question would be whether the name still has power with people or whether it has been tainted by its checkered history in recent years," said Swenson.

Although she has no intention of actively putting the magazine up for sale, Cumming - the third UH owner since Coles sold it in 1987 - said she would consider a sale if "someone qualified" were to make a proposal.

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What constitutes "qualification?" That's easy. "If he has a check in his hand," said Cumming. "Desire is not enough and talent is not enough."

Cumming said the June issue, the final issue, will be "absolutely wonderful" with a cover photo by world renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz and an interview with Leibovitz by Shari Quinney.

Asked what happens to subscribers who will not get the number of issues they paid for, Cumming said she was going to try to provide them subscriptions to another, unnamed publication.

"I don't know if I could do that, but that would be ideal," she said.

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