When you’re writing a profile of Naomi Klein for the New Yorker, you need to put things in terms your base readership can understand, or at least drop some cultural cues as to why Klein is polished enough for that full-page photo despite her dirty, dirty, plebey politics.
“She was wearing dark jeans tucked into tall brown boots, a crisp white shirt, and a long black blazer. She was dressed for a fox hunt. She looked terrific.”
“[Klein's home] is furnished simply, as though on one quick trip to Crate & Barrel.”
I guess a more cynical reading would be that the author is trying to undermine Klein’s thesis here. But then they really seem to genuinely love the outfits and the furniture over at the New Yorker.
Anyone want to help me shoot a depressing documentary on foreclosure, the housing crisis and the collapse of the nouveau riche debt-ridden American dream this coming spring/summer? Some camera/sound help would be nice. C’mon, kids, road trip!!
There was a This American Life marathon on television today, I guess to get everyone in the sappy patriotic mood. Now I don’t believe everything Ira touches is gold, but this is… well, just watch it.
Consider this another reminder to subscribe to Harper’s Weekly Review as soon as Webly possible (or you can just read them all at the archives). They have real sweet kickers. e.g.
“Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of the destruction of parts of an ancient Muslim cemetery, where some of Saladin’s warriors are buried, to make way for a new Frank Gehry-designed $250 million Museum of Tolerance.”
Richard Florida says he wrote Who’s My City basically as a self-help tome. There are tons of books on the market that address choosing career and love (oft considered the other two big life decisions on which your happiness relies [no pressure]) — but none, he said, to address where one should choose to live.
I haven’t read the book, just listened to Florida’s longish Talk of the Nation segment, which was pretty enjoyable, though it only added fuel to my Portland fire. (Every other NPR commenter is singing its praises — maybe the city government hires viral marketing shills for this kind of assignment?)
I did, however, check out the Web site, which has some low-rent WMC features, like a pared-down “best cities” grid — which suggests that as a 20-29 year old single person, I should try Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, New York, San Francisco or TRENTON, NJ. Damn you, Florida.
I’ll probably still skim the book some time at the library, though, if only to find out more about Florida’s “five personality types” that dictate city choice better than most other factors, especially after hearing his banter with the aging “progressive” on TotN.
If you’ve led a life like mine, rich in shame and filth, there are few opportunities for being sanctimonious and you have to seize those that offer themselves quickly.
– Another journo goes vegan and rails about how tough his life was without bloody shanks in perhaps the douchiest display yet (think: Bourdain forced to eat curry for a week and then waxing whiny about it to some 150 wpm assistant); but perhaps because he’s British (and employed by the Guardian) the humor makes up for some of the whine. Still, dude could use a cookie.
Sure, they’re a little too surprised (”10 million Americans!”, “The food is quite good, actually!”, “cut more CO2 than buying a Prius!!”), and yes, we can all thank Oprah, but props to the CNN bookers for going to the source for amazing vegan cuisine, Chef Matteo. (Yes, I’m a hypocrite, but I’m even kind of glad they didn’t mention that stuff costs like $50.)
I was a little more skeptical about the second segment, but that newscaster has such a crush on Russell Simmons, I bet she’ll go veg before the week is out. Don’t underestimate the influential power of cute vegans. (I should put that on the “vegan sex and relationship” survey I got yesterday…)
They’re overplayed (to say the least), but cupcakes are still fun to eat, fun to draw, and definitely fun to write about… within reason. So I think I’m going to start honing my craft with another baked good (with exception, of course, for almond-wasabi cakes).
The Harper’s Weekly Review newsletter always brightens my mid-week. This is just a taste of why, from the May 20th edition:
A 19-year-old college freshman was elected mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. “Right now I’m between girlfriends,” said John Tyler Hammons, who is president of both the Young Republicans and the Young Democrats at his university. “I’m looking to fill that position.” … The Vatican’s chief astronomer said that it’s not a contradiction of faith to believe in aliens and that we may have intelligent, God-created “extraterrestrial brothers.” … U.S. Air Force pilots were testing the Advanced Mission Extender Device, the result of a $5 million program to replace unhygienic “piddle packs” with a system that converts urine into a gel. Los Angeles was considering whether to turn its raw sewage into drinking water.
