TalkTNY: December 2008

News You Can Lose The newspaper industry’s uncertain future. by James Surowiecki

Q. How can we restore an economically vibrant newspaper industry, without outright subsidizing it?

“Some Woman” by Alice Munro

Q. Children's stories can be very scary, especially when they're narrated by children?

Susan Sontag’s early journals. by Darryl Pinckney

Q. The early Susan Sontag, discovering "writing is a beautiful act." Why do Sontag's essays seem more successful than the fiction she devoted so much serious time to?

Pipes An all-star organist. by Rebecca Mead

Q. In this issue's TotT selections we have three brief exposures to public figures of varying flamboyance and notoriety. What's similar between the subjects and the written articles. Contrasts? Which is the more ludicrous moniker: Shane Turquoise, Virgil Fox, Cameron Carpenter? Is there humility or modesty to be found? Special Kaye Judge Judith Kaye steps down from New York’s Supreme Court. by Jeffrey Toobin

Q. Do you agree with Judge Kaye's view of 'jury service'? Is Judge Kaye's jury service goal feasible? Why or why not? What is the state of today's judicial system? Beefsteak A fund-raising party for Bernie Kerik. by Ben McGrath

Q. What do you think of Bernie Kerik and his indictments? Is the support for Kerik at the fund-raiser warranted, especially in today's economic times? Does the article reflect anything about the relationship between New York and New Jersey?

Most Likely to Succeed The trouble with talent spotting. by Malcolm Gladwell

Q. Are the professions analyzed valid comparisons? Proposed solutions aside, what new insights are presented about teachers in public schools? Is a bell curve a fair measurement tool for teachers? Is Donovan McNabb a hall-of-famer?

Making Toast A daughter’s death and her children’s lives. by Roger Rosenblatt

Q. Rosenblatt struggles eloquently to make sense of the unthinkable. In the past he has said we write to know what we think. Why do you think he wrote this article? Do we have a complete picture, one year later, of his family's life? Has it healed?

Marching Through Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili’s headstrong rule. by Wendell Steavenson Audio: Wendell Steavenson discusses Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia.

Q. Should America support Georgia? Should the Soros Foundation? Is Saakashvili a good President? What is the future of Georgia? Its role in world affairs?

Celebrating Leonard Bernstein. by Alex Ross

Q. Is Ross being unfair judging LB and his compositions or begrudgingly truthful? Is there a comparison to be made with Cameron Carpenter (above)? Flamboyance? Showmanship? Passion?

“The Wrestler,” “The Reader,” “Doubt.” by Anthony Lane

Q. Do you think Mickey Rourke just plays himself very well, or does he really act? Is AL being objective? Zingers for each film?

From Russia A New Jerseyite who knows Russian hockey. by Alec Wilkinson

Q. What is the importance of hockey in the United States? The importance of Russia in American hockey? How important are foreign language skills in our everyday life? Is Carr using her language skills effectively?

The Price is Right What to wear to the recession. by Patricia Marx

Q. Are we all recessionistas now? Is this article intended to be funny? Informative? Social Commentary? Is 60% off the new black?

Outside Agitator Naomi Klein reboots the left. by Larissa MacFarquhar A discussion on Naomi Klein and “The Shock Doctrine."

Q. Is it the job of the left to move the center? Does saying crazy stuff make it seem more reasonable for politicians to take riskier positions? Is LMacF subdued on NK because of NK's reservations about Obama?

The Rap The work of the hip-hop cop. by Ian Frazier

Q. Is it appropriate to focus on rap-related crimes when there so many other kinds of crimes out there? Do you think that Parker's retirement was fair? Are Parker's methods and theories about rap-related crime effective? Do you think that rap culture leads to crime or is it a stereotype?

Tina Fey’s “30 Rock.” by Nancy Franklin

Q. Do you think NF's assessment of women in today's workforce accurate? Do you agree that Tina Fey's character does not connect with audiences? Male audiences? Female?

“Frost/Nixon,” “Australia.” by David Denby

Q. Is Denby fair about the importance of the Frost interviews? Did they really influence the public's perception of Nixon? Do you think that Baz Luhrman did an adequate job with Australia or is Denby correct that another director would have been more effective? Are Luhrman's eccentricities assets?

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