The Bold Italic

The Bold Italic is a digital magazine focused on New Journalism and is located in San Francisco. It was established in 2009 through a partnership between the design company IDEO and the media organization Gannett. In 2015, Gannett sold the magazine to local entrepreneurs. After six years of operation, Gannett closed The Bold Italic on April 7, 2015, without providing a specific reason for the decision. This closure came amid Gannett's broader strategy to reduce expenses across its publications, which included layoffs. However, in June 2015, new owners acquired the magazine and quickly resumed publishing. By April 2016, The Bold Italic announced a collaboration with Medium, an online publishing platform based in San Francisco, and it continues to release new articles on a daily basis.

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Articles

Easter in the park proved again why San Francisco is the country’s queer heart

2 weeks ago | thebolditalic.com | Christopher J. Beale

Under blue skies and rainbow flags, Easter in Dolores Park was pure queer magic this year. By Christopher BealeFolks were staking out spots early on the lower level of Dolores Park Sunday morning. As the fog burned away, the hills above filled faster than in years past.
I waited 15 years to see Hunky Jesus - and yes, he delivered

3 weeks ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

I saw more abs than at a Castro gym and more Jesus puns than a church marquee. By Saul SugarmanIt’s a perilous time for queer people right now. Texas is cranking out anti-trans bills like raffle tickets; Trump is policing gender rights; and Hungary just banned Pride. So you probably thought we’d lay low and start a group chat about moving to Canada. Instead we’re doing what we always do in times of repression: dressing up, showing out, and turning defiance into a damn runway.
How Boudin Bakery baked its way through history

1 month ago | thebolditalic.com | Alec Scott

Even as San Francisco evolves, the scent of Boudin’s signature loaves fills the air. This article is part of SF Throwbacks, a feature series that tells historic stories of San Francisco to teach us all more about our city’s past. It’s also an excerpt from Alec Scott’s book, Oldest San Francisco — with some edits and additions from The Bold Italic.
Forgive me, Father, for I have served a look

1 month ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

San Francisco’s holiest night of hedonism landed at Grace Cathedral on March 4th. Yes, I came to fundraise — no, I did not skip the photobooth. I once again pushed the boundaries of formalwear physics not long ago. Limb placement is a lowkey suggestion in a ballgown — and what better place to test minor acrobatic miracles than at Grace Cathedral? It was the annual Carnivale gala, otherwise known as San Francisco’s most glamorous reason to get drunk in a church.
Raymonda wants love and a career - SF Ballet gives her both

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

Feminism can take many forms; This one does it in pointe shoes. I always thought ballet would be a music box come to life. A dainty princess twirls in a stiff tutu while a prince solemnly assists, and the whole performance would serve up a tax-free inheritance in pointe shoes — polished, rarefied, and untouched by mortal concerns like gravity or sweat. In reality, one heroine fumbles every life decision and ends up in a swamp.
How Lunar New Year at SF Symphony set the tone for 2025

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

From a glowing dragon to Mayor Lurie’s rallying words, SF Symphony gave me another Lunar New Year filled with elegance and community. I moved to Mainland China after college, looking for adventure and maybe some stories to tell. I discovered that “mild” Sichuan spice was a lie, that tangerines could suddenly be everywhere, and that the streets could go from overflowing to empty in a single night — not out of abandonment, but out of tradition.
How Lunar New Year at SF Symphony set the tone for 2025

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

From a glowing dragon to Mayor Lurie’s rallying words, SF Symphony gave me another Lunar New Year filled with elegance and community. I moved to Mainland China after college, looking for adventure and maybe some stories to tell. I discovered that “mild” Sichuan spice was a lie, that tangerines could suddenly be everywhere, and that the streets could go from overflowing to empty in a single night — not out of abandonment, but out of tradition.
Zac Posen’s big night out in San Francisco

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

After attending a capsule collection at Gap headquarters on Feb. 13, Posen dashed across town for an entirely different debut for SF Ballet. I admit I’ve been a little skeptical of Zac Posen coming to San Francisco. For many years, the designer’s career captivated my attention with incredible couture fantasies, from Claire Danes rocking an LED ballgown at the Met Gala to Naomi Campbell in this insanely stunning sparkle frock. But that was New York.
Zac Posen’s big night out in San Francisco

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

After attending a capsule collection at Gap headquarters on Feb. 13, Posen dashed across town for an entirely different debut for SF Ballet. I admit I’ve been a little skeptical of Zac Posen coming to San Francisco. For many years, the designer’s career captivated my attention with incredible couture fantasies, from Claire Danes rocking an LED ballgown at the Met Gala to Naomi Campbell in this insanely stunning sparkle frock. But that was New York.
‘Cool Britannia’ slaps like a pop anthem that belongs in a sci-fi epic

2 months ago | thebolditalic.com | Saul Sugarman

With songs from The White Stripes and aggressively sleek, this triple bill at SF Ballet redefines what dance can look like. Chroma is what I assume happens in a ballet dancer’s apartment at 7 a.m. A White Stripes song comes on. Everyone is in matching nude cami sleepwear, and without a word between them, the dancing begins. Most nights at the ballet pull me into a story—love, despair, or a very stressed-out bird; But Chroma wasn’t here to spin a tale.