Shelley Arnusch, Editor In Chief, Avenue

Name: Shelley Arnusch
Magazine: Avenue (avenuecalgary.com)
Position: Editor In Chief
Favourite magazines: The Believer, The Gentlewoman, T New York Times Style Mag, Kootenay Mountain Culture, Dwell, Outside, The Surfer’s Journal, California Sunday
What do you love most about magazines? The interplay of words and pictures, having something intriguing to read that’s also wonderful to look at.
Who or what inspires you? The outdoors, music, watching my kid grow up.
What aspects of your job do you like best? My favourite thing about being an editor is the first view of a story laid out on a page with the artwork, where you get to see a coming together of ideas and get a sense of what you’re putting out into the world.
If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose? Jane Pratt.
What are some fun facts about you that not many people know? My family lived in Australia for a year in 1981, I am a former competitive figure skater, I taught snowboarding in Austria in the mid-1990s, I played keyboard in a David Bowie tribute act, I once attended a concert where the lineup was Debbie Gibson, followed by the Pointer Sisters, followed by David Hasselhof.
Drink of choice (alcoholic or non): whisky sour
What’s the last book you read? Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
What’s the first concert you ever attended? Bryan Adams
What did you want to be growing up? I wanted to play the organ at Edmonton Oiler hockey games.
When not making amazing magazines, how do you like spending your time? In the summertime I like to ride my cruiser bike around the city, in the winter, I try to get out skiing as much as I can.