East Asia hasn’t had a magazine of ideas.

Sad, but true. Sure, there’s a bunch of local outlets that report the news competently enough, most of the time, but no one does a good job of going beyond that, offering quality features, analysis, commentary. No one treats writing as an art form, makes people think, truly adds value to the conversation, cuts through the buzz of the 24-hour news cycle to extract the meaning.

 

Why? Is there nothing here worth thinking about? No; life here is as rich and complex as anywhere else. Is there no appetite for that kind of thing here? Of course not; Asians are no dumber, shallower, or less curious than anywhere else, and as they grow richer they’ll demand more sophisticated content.

 

Rabbit Hole will provide that. It’ll establish a new tradition in journalism in this part of the world. It models itself on the best – The Atlantic, The New Yorker and Time (at their height) – and offers articles that are both timely and timeless.

It’s an intellectual brothel.

A brothel for the mind instead of the body. It hires the best writers from around the world, and East Asia in particular. Each staff writer is a thinker, and a star in his or her own right, and readers can visit the site for stimulation on any topics of their choice from any writers of their choice. We chose the name “Rabbit Hole” because of the Alice in Wonderland reference suggesting a deeper level of reality…and also because it sounds like it could be the name of a brothel.

 

Many publications play it safe, steering clear of controversy and trying not to offend anyone. This isn’t one of them. Rabbit Hole chucks stones at giants and throws caution to the winds and laughs as it blows past. It asks questions it’s not supposed to. It tells the truth, as best it can, and those who don’t like it can cry us a river. It’s irreverent, fiercely independent, and answerable to no one and nothing save for the highest standards of journalism.

 

East Asia hasn’t had a magazine of ideas. It’s time it did.