In the New Yorker...

[Front-Ranger]

What a coincidence! F. Scott Fitzgerald's ghost made an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion this weekend in commemoration of his birthday!

[serious crayons]

What a coincidence! F. Scott Fitzgerald's ghost made an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion this weekend in commemoration of his birthday!

Wow! It's today!

[Jeff Wrangler]

How the mighty have fallen. ... 

I am getting very disappointed by The New Yorker. Time was when the magazine was meticulously edited and was known for its meticulous fact-checking. Yet these days I am finding punctuation and typographical errors with depressing regularity, and today I came across a real shocker.

Over lunch I was reading Ryan Lizza's article in the October 11 issue about how the Senate and the Administration missed the chance to deal with climate change. In a discussion on attempts to get Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, the Senators from Maine, on board with legisation that John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman were drafting, mention is made of a prominent fishing area off the New England coast. This area is known as the Georges Bank, and I'm sure I remember it being mentioned quite prominently in The Perfect Storm (the book, not necessarily the movie).

Well, in Ryan Lizza's article, this important fishing area is referred to as "Georgia's Bank, a Maine fishery."

How the mighty have fallen.  I think I need to start photocopying these bloopers, and when I get a good pile of them, send them to the editor.

[Front-Ranger]

I hear you, friend. The first time I found a typo in The New Yorker, I was shocked!!

[serious crayons]

Here are some videos from this year's New Yorker Festival, in which prominent New Yorker writers give speeches and sit on panels. I don't have the time, let alone the money, to watch the full videos, but I watched a few of the free sample clips, and some are interesting. I highly recommend the Malcolm Gladwell one -- what he has to say is shocking as well as entertaining. Paul Krugman and James Surowiecki are also pretty good.

http://fora.tv/conference/new_yorker_festival_2010

[Front-Ranger]

There's an article beginning with an anecdote from Sherlock Holmes in the October 18th New Yorker! It's called "Too Much Information" and it's about books on sex and reproduction. I love The New Yorker!

[Jeff Wrangler]

There's an article beginning with an anecdote from Sherlock Holmes in the October 18th New Yorker! It's called "Too Much Information" and it's about books on sex and reproduction. I love The New Yorker!

Well, yes. I read that article over lunch today. And when I get home this evening, I need to check my Holmes books and hope I have one that includes "The Blue Carbuncle." Jill Lepore quotes from that story, "Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. 'By Jove, Peterson,' said he. ..."

"Peterson"? 

I need to find out whether Jill Lepore made a mistake for "Watson," and if she did, somebody at The New Yorker should be fired for not catching it.

I saw the dramatization of "The Blue Carbuncle" with Jeremy Brett as Holmes--the best screen Holmes ever--but that was long ago, and I'm not that familiar with that story.

I wonder whether the full text is accessible on line somewhere? 

[southendmd]

I wonder whether the full text is accessible on line somewhere?  

Here: Blue Carbuncle

Peterson is identified as the "commissioniare".

[Jeff Wrangler]

Here: Blue Carbuncle

Peterson is identified as the "commissioniare".

Thanks.    Saved me time and trouble (And why am I not surprised that the text is on line?  ). My faith in Jill Lepore is restored, if not my faith in The New Yorker.

[Front-Ranger]

Well, yes. I read that article over lunch today. And when I get home this evening, I need to check my Holmes books and hope I have one that includes "The Blue Carbuncle." Jill Lepore quotes from that story, "Sherlock Holmes sat up with a whistle. 'By Jove, Peterson,' said he. ..."

"Peterson"? 

I need to find out whether Jill Lepore made a mistake for "Watson," and if she did, somebody at The New Yorker should be fired for not catching it.

Their jobs are safe! Holmes ejaculates  that to Peterson, the commissionaire, whose wife found the carbuncle in the crop of a goose she was preparing.

I saw the dramatization of "The Blue Carbuncle" with Jeremy Brett as Holmes--the best screen Holmes ever--but that was long ago, and I'm not that familiar with that story.

I wonder whether the full text is accessible on line somewhere? 

I was reading about Jeremy Brett...apparently he got lost in the Homes character at some point and misplaced himself. Easy to do I imagine. He was also bi.