Houstonia's Losses Mount

Houstonia Magazine's editor-in-chief is gone after just 3 issues: Shakeups continue at new magazine

The new Houstonia Magazine sent its publisher packing after just one issue. Its much-promoted editor-in-chief hire lasted . . . three issues.

John Wilburn has joined publisher Lou DeLone in making a quick departure from Houstonia.

As the first editor of the Houston Press, Wilburn carries a heady reputation in the Bayou City media market. As a newcomer to the regional market, Houstonia knew he was just the man to hire as its first editor-in-chief.

But not long after Houstonia's April launch, Wilburn is gone, marking the magazine's second major leadership departure in a few months.

"He was offered a new position as editor-at-large of the magazine, which he ultimately declined to accept."

Editorial director Scott Vogel — the Houston native who founded the publication with sister Nicole Vogel — tells CultureMap via email that Wilburn left the post in May.

"John was hired to be the editor-in-chief of the magazine, and was the number two editor here, reporting to me," Vogel writes. "In April, he was offered a new position as editor-at-large of the magazine, which he ultimately declined to accept."

Multiple sources tell CultureMap that Scott Vogel has taken on an increasingly vocal role in editorial and determining the magazine's content and that Wilburn was hired with the understanding that he'd be able to chart the magazine's editorial course. Hence his editor-in-chief title.

Wilburn acknowledged he received CultureMap's request for an interview, but did not return phone calls or comment further. He finished up his tenure with a final editor's note in the magazine's June issue (though the note does not acknowledge his impending departure).

Wilburn served a stint as managing editor for the Houston Chronicle, which he joined after helping kick off the Houston branch of Microsoft's Sidewalk.com (now CitySearch) as well as serving as operations manager for KHOU's news website. He was working as an opinion editor at the Chronicle when he left for Houstonia Magazine.

With Wilburn at its helm, Houstonia quickly found itself with a lineup of local talent that included Houston Press alum like Robb Walsh, John Nova Lomax and Cathy Matusow.

“The chance to capture, between magazine covers, a city as muscular, diverse and energetic as Houston, offers an irresistible lure for those of us who love colorful storytelling,” Wilburn said in a January press release announcing Houstonia's arrival.

But, the thrill apparently didn't last long.

This isn't the first — or second time for that matter — the barely launched magazine's made headlines for drama not in its pages. Houstonia found itself changing its name after the Houstonian Hotel objected to its original planned title: Houstonian Magazine.

Who's left from Houstonia Magazine's first issue? Just months in, the new magazine's seen two of its highest ranked leaders depart.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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