Editor's note: this interview was conducted in 2022 when The Modern Jetsetter's Volume 1 was newly released. Volume 1 is the only issue we currently stock.

The Modern Jetsetter is a loveletter to English heritage. InsideVolume 1 they visitCliveden House (from the beautifulgardens to the old wall of bells in thestaff quarters), wander aroundChatsworth library, pay tribute toPrince Philip and take tea with somemodern nobility. We chatted to makerand editor Kortney Gruenwaldabout the magazine.

Hello Kortney. So, where did your love of England come from?

Kortney: It's rather a mystery, as I can't remember an exact moment in life when it started. The love always existed. I was born worlds away on the West Coast of America, so my best hypothesis is that the love of England lived inherently somewhere in my bones, alongside a calling to Europe, one born as a child on a trip to Italy to visit my grandmother's family.

I followed that calling across the Atlantic rather dutifully my whole young adult life, studying in London whilst in university and thereafter, spending time working as an editor in Germany for the British market.

Was there a particular moment that made you decide to launch The Modern Jetsetter?

Kortney: It began as a whimsical online publication when I first moved to London. Only after my American passport was traded in for a British one did the belief solidify that I was worthy of committing this dream to real ink and paper. This magazine is my life's work, an incredibly personal love letter to the country I forever call home. It was created by an American woman, but very much delivered with the intention of celebrating my adopted home country.

We really loved Volume 1, could you tell us a bit about it?

Kortney: We wove Volume 1 with an inherent English rhythm and pace, meandering from Buckinghamshire to Wales, Berkshire to Derbyshire, and inviting the reader to feel truly transported to each destination.

We had also intended to weave a subtle message throughout of celebrating our late Queen and the great Prince Philip and honouring the profound impact of his life on the modern royal family we know today. Sadly, the Duke of Edinburgh passed away in April of 2021, prior to the publication of the magazine. Our editorial team gathered and updated the piece into a reflection of his life and dignified legacy, drawing from historical mentions of Prince Philip through my own family (the third-generation American diplomatic lineage from the state of Virginia) and speaking to his lasting legacy of dignity, duty, gentlemanly wit and unassuming steadfast strength as a role model for the modern man to be true to his roots and simply and honestly himself.

Storytelling with printed pages is a slow, but exceptionally worthwhile and passionate art form. We are immensely proud of how Volume 1 turned out.

Could you sum up the magazine in three words? (Sorry if this is tricky.)

Kortney: Elegant. Romantic. Discerning.

Which other indie magazines are on your list?

Kortney: We tremendously admire Lodestars Anthology, Cabana Magazine, and Galah Magazine (a beautiful new publication out of Australia).

We love Lodestars and Cabana. We'll have to check out Galah. And finally, in this digital age, why make print magazines?

Kortney: In great part to the historical pause the world encountered, we as a generation are slowly realising there is a restorative retreat for our imaginations in the physical. We are slowly, albeit imperfectly, learning to use screens more as tools that enrich our social and professional experiences rather than a place our attention is held captive, and investing those regained hours back into what nourishes us: stories.

I sense a renaissance not only in print, but in every sustainable medium designed with timeless storytelling rather than reactive storytelling.

Thank you, Kortney. You can browse Volume 1 of The Modern Jetsetter here.