Rodale is folding the men's magazine Best Life. The May issue (out next month) will be its last. The move was just announced in a staff memo, copied below:

Dear Colleagues,

Today we are announcing that we will cease publication of Best Life. The May issue, appearing on newsstands next month, will be our last.

Despite the great work of the sales team and the talent of the editorial staff, given the challenges of the advertising market and general conditions, Best Life could not meet our internal benchmarks. We have made the decision to focus our resources on our core brands and capitalize on opportunities across new and emerging media platforms.

Led by VP/Publisher Michael Wolfe, the Best Life sales team put in a strong performance and seized valuable market share. In 2008, advertising revenues and pages for the magazine increased 22.8% and 6.6%, respectively, and Best Life was named to the 2008 Ad Week "10 Under 50" Hot List. The magazine combined top-notch service and writing, featuring contributions from some of America's leading contemporary writers, from Denis Johnson to David Mamet. VP/Editor-in-Chief Stephen Perrine lived and breathed Best Life, and assembled a team that was equally committed to the vitality of the magazine.

All of us thank the Best Life staff for their tremendous work over the past five years, and we wish them all well going forward.

Best,

Steve