Author Topic: In the New Yorker...  (Read 1921773 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1220 on: July 28, 2015, 10:44:27 pm »
I should clarify (in case I wasn't already clear) that that's just from today's digest. Normally it's fine. But still! I get a handful of publications' digests -- from the Atlantic, New York, etc. -- and I've never seen one that wasn't typo-free. Somebody's probably in trouble tonight.

I understood it was just today's, and, yeah, somebody should be in a lot of trouble tonight.
"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 #1221 on: August 01, 2015, 08:10:02 pm »
The July 20 issue was really interesting to me, the cartoons were funny and the articles were engaging. In contrast, I dispatched with the latest issue in less than an hour. Maybe one of you will point out to me something I missed.

In addition to the book critique about The Tale of Gengi, I liked Dave Eggers "The Actual Hollister" about Hollister, California and the clothing line. Eggers is an author who I think captures the discontents of my generation very well. Of course there is "The Really Big One" which went viral in a big way, about the coming NW earthquake, and a review of the movie Mr. Holmes, which I saw on my birthday with my Sherlock group, Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients. The one fiction piece, "Ghosts and Empties" by Lauren Groff, was mildly interesting.
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1222 on: August 02, 2015, 11:38:16 am »
Eggers is an author who I think captures the discontents of my generation very well.

That's an interesting observation, considering Eggers is 45.


 

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1223 on: August 04, 2015, 01:33:13 pm »
Over lunch today I enjoyed Joan Acocella's Aug. 3 piece on the book about stagefright. A lot of my enjoyment had to do with reading about so many famous performers who suffer from 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.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1224 on: August 05, 2015, 01:41:42 pm »
I just read the Aug. 3 article about the tunnels built by the Sinaloa drug cartel for drug smuggling, similar to the one used by El Chapo to escape from prison. I found the article fascinating. It's amazing what a sophisticated business operation the cartel is, and the same goes for the tunnel construction. Get this:

Quote
At the house in Agua Prieta, the only way to access the tunnel was to turn on an outdoor water spigot; this triggered a hydraulic system that lifted up a billiard table in a game room on the ground floor, exposing a ladder to the tunnel.

That's like something right out of TV or a movie.

Unfortunately, it seems the tunnels are built with slave labor, and when the tunnels are complete, the slaves are murdered.  :(
"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 #1225 on: August 10, 2015, 12:16:21 am »
I'm maybe halfway through the one about the people with kidnapped kids in Syria and looking dismally at the many, many pages left to go. Not to mention the fact that the current photos mostly don't feature the kids and the writer refers to the kids in past tense. Can anyone offer me encouragement that it's worth persevering?


Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1226 on: August 10, 2015, 10:41:43 am »
I'm maybe halfway through the one about the people with kidnapped kids in Syria and looking dismally at the many, many pages left to go. Not to mention the fact that the current photos mostly don't feature the kids and the writer refers to the kids in past tense. Can anyone offer me encouragement that it's worth persevering?

By "kidnapped kids" do you mean the one about the adult journalists, like James Foley?

At the risk of spoiling it for you, I'll say it depends on what you would consider "worth persevering" for. There is only one "happy ending" here, and I've already forgotten his name. But I remembered James Foley from the news, and also the young woman, so I knew what was coming for them. Even so, I found the article worth reading to the end. I don't mean to be flip about these tragedies, but even though I knew the eventual fate of at least two of the kidnapping victims, I thought the article was very well written and read like a good "thriller," so I guess that's the sense in which I found it worth reading through to the end.
"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 #1227 on: August 10, 2015, 10:49:05 am »
I remember that article too. Very no-nonsense, but painful as a parent to read. I liked the photos being throughout the article. As I recall, the survivor reminded me of Ennis. Not a happy ending there either.
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1228 on: August 10, 2015, 06:28:01 pm »
By "kidnapped kids" do you mean the one about the adult journalists, like James Foley?

Yes, and by "kids" I meant they were the offspring of the parents on whom the article focused.

I've always this a frustrating gap in the English language -- there's no good word for "adult children," which sounds like an oxymoron. "Offspring" only sounds right in certain contexts. Progeny? Heirs?



Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: In the New Yorker...
« Reply #1229 on: August 10, 2015, 06:33:47 pm »
Yes, and by "kids" I meant they were the offspring of the parents on whom the article focused.

I've always this a frustrating gap in the English language -- there's no good word for "adult children," which sounds like an oxymoron. "Offspring" only sounds right in certain contexts. Progeny? Heirs?

I dunno.  ???

I felt I had to ask because I do give away my magazines and sometimes I forget to read something in them before I give them away.

Plus, for me, "kid" or "kids" suggests an adolescent or younger, not an adult child.
"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.