In the New Yorker...

[Jeff Wrangler]

Has anybody read "Value Meal," by Tad Friend (Sept. 30)? It looks to me like it's another one of those articles that's longer by half than it needs to be.

No, I thought the same thing, although I like his writing so I'll at least start it.

I finished it, and I found it interesting, but I think it was longer than necessary.

[serious crayons]

Tad Friend dates back to the old, wordy New Yorker, right?

I think history looks, or will look, kindly on some of the changes Tina Brown made. As you recall, she was hugely controversial -- Garrison Keillor, as I recall, was one of those who stomped out in a huff -- but one thing she did right, IMO, is to make New Yorker articles more relevant to current events and pop culture.

I might read a longish piece about, oh, ICE or Rudy Giuliani or Edward Snowden or, heck, Brad Pitt. But I remember one of the last straws for me in the old New Yorker was a piece of probably close to 10,000 words about the inner operations of a small Manhattan grocery store. "Thursday is the day the dairy delivery truck restocks the dairy case with milk, cream, yogurt, cheese ..." (Going from memory.  )

[Jeff Wrangler]

Tad Friend dates back to the old, wordy New Yorker, right?

I don't know. The contributor page says he's been a staff writer since 1998.

I think history looks, or will look, kindly on some of the changes Tina Brown made. As you recall, she was hugely controversial -- Garrison Keillor, as I recall, was one of those who stomped out in a huff -- but one thing she did right, IMO, is to make New Yorker articles more relevant to current events and pop culture.

It seems to me that articles got shorter (and in my opinion more reader friendly) during the Brown era.

I might read a longish piece about, oh, ICE or Rudy Giuliani or Edward Snowden or, heck, Brad Pitt. But I remember one of the last straws for me in the old New Yorker was a piece of probably close to 10,000 words about the inner operations of a small Manhattan grocery store. "Thursday is the day the dairy delivery truck restocks the dairy case with milk, cream, yogurt, cheese ..." (Going from memory.  )

Was that a real article? I don't remember. I wonder what anyone would say today about devoting an entire issue to one story--like John Hersey's "Hiroshima"?

[serious crayons]

I don't know. The contributor page says he's been a staff writer since 1998.

Then no. The Brown era started in the '80s, as I recall.

It seems to me that articles got shorter (and in my opinion more reader friendly) during the Brown era.

Yes. Before her time the New Yorker did not regularly cover ongoing current events, politics or pop culture. I agree about the reader friendliness.

Was that a real article? I don't remember. I wonder what anyone would say today about devoting an entire issue to one story--like John Hersey's "Hiroshima"?

I think with a story that big and important and dramatic, they'd be OK with it. Now, on the other hand, the day-to-day operations of a small grocery store ... 

How much of the issue that came out after 9/11 was about 9/11? Anybody remember?

[Front-Ranger]

I remember the cover of that issue. It was completely black, with the shadow of the twin towers depicted in varnish (or the aqueous coating that replaced varnish) so that you could only see the image by the light reflected from it.

As I recall, the issue was mainly about 9-11 and won awards. I think I still have it somewhere.

[serious crayons]

As I recall, the issue was mainly about 9-11 and won awards. I think I still have it somewhere.

Do you still have another famous issue on your bedside table?

I do remember that 9/11 cover. For some reason, I don't remember much of the contents.

The other really good post-9/11 issue, believe it or not, was The Onion. It was genuinely funny, and hit just the right tone so it didn't seem "too soon." My favorite line, quoting some random man on the street, was: "If the world were going to suddenly turn into a movie without warning, I wish it would have been one of those boring, talky Merchant-Ivory ones instead. I hate those movies, but I sure wish we were living in one right now."

Check out the front page if you didn't see/don't remember it. Every headline is funny while also being (IMO) inoffensive.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/blogs/cutline/remembering-onion-9-11-issue-everyone-thought-last-162024809.html

[Front-Ranger]

I'll have to look that up; thanks for the link. Yes, that other famous issue is still there, even though I have a different bedside table!

[Front-Ranger]

I've been catching up on my issues that were put aside during the summer. In the July 8-15 issue, I read the article about Hunter Biden. It was very comprehensive and apparently Hunter cooperated and was interviewed several times for it. It was heartbreaking to see how hard he tried and failed to break his addictions. One hopes for him going forward, but the future looks bleak.

[serious crayons]

The Oct. 28 issue arrived yesterday. The articles looked kind of "Ehhh, maybe ..." I started reading a profile of the actor Adam Driver because that seemed easy, at least, not a daunting "duty" article. I find him mildly interesting as an actor, and he's been in a lot of movies in the past few years.

But I got about three pages into it and realized the profile was nine pages long. It was like the long-ago nine-page article I once started reading on a grocery store. Driver has some mildly interesting characteristics, like pretty much all people do, but he wasn't particularly fascinating. I got to the part where the piece was offering moment-by-moment coverage of Driver preparing to go onstage. He gets his hair wet, then he puts gel in it, then he blowdries it, then he brushes his teeth because he has to kiss an actress onstage, then he ...

Well, I may never know whether he put his shoes on next, or a jacket or what. I bailed. If there's anything especially interesting about Adam Driver to warrant a nine-page piece, they sure buried the lede.

Meanwhile, Thomas Edison merited four pages. (Admittedly, the Edison piece is a book review/essay as opposed to a full-blown profile.)

[Front-Ranger]

I concur about the Adam Driver article. Did you get far enough to figure out why they call him "the original man"? IMO, the best thing about the article is the portrait of him. Such an interesting face! I liked "The avocado Whisperer" so far. The Shouts & Murmurs piece was, as usual, too nuanced for my taste.