Does anybody subscribe to the dead tree editions of magazines anymore? Well, yes. I do. And this month it was time for me to reevaluate and renew my subscriptions.

Although I do enjoy being able to read magazines on the couch or on the subway, what I really like is imagining that my magazine choices say interesting things about me. I tell myself they’re a fashion or design choice, communicating to my houseguests and fellow commuters something about my tastes. For a few years I’ve subscribed to the Economist (intended personality statement: interested in political issues; not afraid to get a bit wonky; and generally pro-market but not dogmatic about it) and the New Yorker (patient enough to read in-depth articles and appreciate complexity; appreciative of a literary point of view; and–let’s be honest–a bit of snobbery).

But this year, I’m switching things up. I’m keeping the New Yorker. Now that I’ve moved from Brooklyn to Chicago, I’d probably keep it for the title alone. Some of my favorites writers are contributors: Malcolm Gladwell, Jeffrey Toobin, and Ryan Lizza spring to mind. I adore the team of critics, especially Sasha Frere-Jones, Nancy Franklin, and Alex Ross. And I have to admit to being regularly filled with glee by the high-falutin’ style. (I know–pathetic, but it’s true.)

The Economist, on the other hand, isn’t making the cut. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the magazine and will miss its presence. (And I’d be more than happy to accept a gift subscription–Christmas is coming up, after all.) But two things influenced my decision. First, price. At $127 per year as listed on its website, that’s one expensive mag! A student subscription–my wife’s in school right now–still costs nearly $70. At that price, I think I can read my articles online like the rest of tech-savvy America, thank you very much.

But the other factor is that I love what I’ve seen of Vanity Fair lately. Christopher Hitchens and James Wolcott are there with their delightfully prickly takes on American culture, people like Malcolm Gladwell and Andrew Ross Sorkin apparently show up from time to time, and there’s a healthy does of editorial photography–including great covers. (How can you not love this gallery of Penelope Cruz?) But the clincher was probably when I noticed a new feature: The Gay Guide to Glee. Yes, it’s online-only, but this makes it clear that VF and I are definitely on the same page.

So I made the switch. And blogged about it.

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