Author Topic: In the New Yorker...  (Read 1922327 times)

Offline serious crayons

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2360 on: March 06, 2020, 12:43:18 am »
Thanks for the deeper description and tales, FRiend! I actually do think quite often about how lucky we are to fresh, drinkable water handy — usually at numerous sites in our homes!

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2361 on: March 14, 2020, 08:51:15 pm »
I highly recommend that everyone read the last paragraph of the article about Brad Parscale in the March 9 issue. The article itself is too long, but I highly recommend the last paragraph.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2362 on: March 14, 2020, 10:04:43 pm »
I was just reading that article too, and there were several hauntingly prophetic sentences, odd for a profile of a rube from Topeka, Kansas.
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline serious crayons

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2363 on: March 14, 2020, 10:47:46 pm »
I finally finished the profile of Yuval Noah Harari and can report that I hated it. It was a deliberate cheap-shot takedown. It wasn’t a straight-up profile, nor was it a straight-up critique of his work. It was a pretend profile laced with snide, condescending little digs, some of which may have some truth to them but were not well argued in the piece. Don’t get me wrong — I like Harari’s book so am naturally inclined to defend him. But if, say, Adam Gopnik or Louis Menand had written a fair and thoughtful essay debunking it, that would be OK. This writer wasn’t good enough to do that. 

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2364 on: March 15, 2020, 12:26:55 am »
That was the impression I got, as well.
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2365 on: March 15, 2020, 02:48:25 pm »
It was a pretend profile laced with snide, condescending little digs, some of which may have some truth to them but were not well argued in the piece.

I remember thinking the tone was a little odd, like the author didn't like his subject.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline serious crayons

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2366 on: March 16, 2020, 11:33:59 am »
I remember thinking the tone was a little odd, like the author didn't like his subject.

Exactly. Yuval mostly comes across as pleasant enough in the quotes, which makes the writer's nasty little asides seem even weirder.

If the writer had problems with Yuval's writing, he should just critique or review it. I'm sure there are plenty of valid arguments to be made against lots of things Harari hs written.

if writer just didn't like the guy, someone else should have written the profile. The editor is also responsible, for not having paid closer attention to this dynamic.
 

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2367 on: March 17, 2020, 03:32:20 pm »
I think Ian Parker is jealous of Yuval and it was a hatchet piece. After all, he's been working for TNY for nearly 30 years but I bet most people wouldn't know who he is. But some people really, really like his style. Here's a review of his profile of Alex Baldwin: https://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/whys-this-so-good-no-62-ian-parker-profiles-alec-baldwin/

In the same issue, I'm reading "Betting the Farm" by Sam Knight about Joseph Fiennes's twin brother who manages a great estate in England according to permaculture principles (although the word is not mentioned in the article). It's very interesting to me but I don't know if anyone else would find it interesting.

Articles in my interest area are starting to crop (pun intended) up a lot now. Who would think TNY would run an article about composting? But that is what "Letter from Seoul" is about in the March 9 issue. Also of interest in that issue are "Exodus" about the German expatriots in Los Angeles and "#Winning" (as Jeff mentioned) about how social media was used to elect Trump. I also learned a lot from "The Leveller" a review of the work of Thomas Piketty, the French economist.

I'm also re-reading "The Bristlecones Speak" by Alex Ross in the January 20 issue. That's another one that you wouldn't expect to see in TNY.
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2368 on: March 30, 2020, 09:39:22 pm »
So why did I stick it out through that entire profile of Jordan Wolfson (March 16)?  Boring is the best word I can come up with to describe it.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #2369 on: April 02, 2020, 11:28:29 am »
I have now read every. Single. Article. in the March 23 issue, since it's the only one I brought with me to AZ. Go ahead, ask me a question about any article. I have practically memorized them!
"chewing gum and duct tape"