Issue of May 26, 2008

May 26, 2008



THE TALK OF THE TOWN

Ink
Mamet Talk
by
Lillian Ross


Q. LR nails another Talk piece! What makes this a classic TotT versus say something published in the WaPo or the NY Times Sunday magazines? Does it read better aloud? Whose voice do you hear?

James Surowiecki on economic populism.

Q. JS makes a mostly solid argument regarding who benefits most from trade agreements. But he also proves who suffers most from the same agreements. Should we look at trade agreements with a new perspective?

ANNALS OF DRINKING
A Few Too Many
Joan Acocella
Anatomy of a hangover.
Q. Has anyone tried one of the "cures" mentioned? With success? Why hasn't a cure for common complaints been pursued with more rigor? Is a hangover an amoral ailment? an immoral one?

OUR LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS
Hungry Minds
Ian Frazier
Tales from a Chelsea soup kitchen.
Q. Is this about a writing class, a soup kitchen, a church, a community? Which subjects are memorable? Sympathetic? Are they really hungry minds? Souls? Hearts?

THE CRITICS

ON TELEVISION
Katie Couric and the plight of TV news.
Nancy Franklin
Q. Seriously, who cares about TV news? It's really infotainment now, isn't it? What kind of journalism is left for television to cover today? What can TV news do better than print, the internet, radio, and/or Craigslist?

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A Sudden Illness
Laura Hillenbrand
http://www.cfids-cab.org/MESA/Hillenbrand.html

Q. What does LH have in common with the characters in her novel? Or, how many characters share her story?
Do they have happy endings?

Issue of May 19, 2008

May 19, 2008



LETTER FROM LOS ANGELES
Largo Nights
Dana Goodyear
A hothouse of music and comedy.
Q. Why is Largo a success? Why is it named "Largo"? Why is the article titled "Largo Nights"? Pick three gorgeous sentences. Dissect the frog. Is it still gorgeous? Dead?

PROFILES
Bird-Watcher
David Remnick
A life devoted to jazz.
Q. "The urge to preserve, to collect, to keep time at bay, to hold on to the past is a common one. " Does collecting keep time at bay? Do the Dead Sea Scrolls equate to something monumental in jazz history? Is Schaap King Arthur? "Ask ev'ry person if he's heard the story, And tell it strong and clear if he has not, That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory..."

THE CRITICS
POP MUSIC
“American Idol.”
Sasha Frere-Jones
Q. Now that I know the rules of the game I understand what all the fuss is. But I'm still not interested in playing. SFJ claims the game is "I'm smarter than the (other) judges". What do you think is the appeal of AI? Do you watch? vote? Why?

THE CURRENT CINEMA
“Noise,” “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantánamo Bay.”
David Denby
Q. A "noise" crusader is my hero! Does DD entice you to see either film with his review? Do you agree that H&K are Abbot and Costello for the 21st Century?

Issue of May 12, 2008

May 12, 2008


THE TALK OF THE TOWN
James Surowiecki on Toyota’s bright ideas.
Q. Is Toyota's secret to success the same as dieting? Are discipline and creativity at odds? complementary?

ANNALS OF INNOVATION
In the Air
Malcolm Gladwell
Nathan Myhrvold’s breakthrough factory.
Q. Do you agree that the necessity of the times breeds invention? What things surprised you in this article? Is it really knowing where to look?

SHOUTS & MURMURS
Bad Dog
Larry Doyle
Q. Funny? Absurd? What are the indirect references in this piece?

PROFILES
A Man of Taste
D. T. Max
A chef fights to save his tongue.
Q. What is this article about? How many themes? Does it bore? Overwhelm?

THE WORLD OF FASHION
Pixel Perfect
Lauren Collins
The king of the photo touchup.
Q. Is "touchup" a fraud? or an art? Is it painting with a new technology? When does it cross a line of integrity? Is there such a line?

THE CRITICS

THE CURRENT CINEMA
“Speed Racer,” “Turn the River.”
Anthony Lane
Q. Groucho, Dante and Beatrice, Pee-wee Herman, and Anselm Kiefer all mentioned in the same review! Is the review more entertaining than the movie? Do you have a 4 year old to ask?

Issue of May 5, 2008

May 5, 2008



LETTER FROM LOS ANGELES
Street Scene
Dana Goodyear
The homeless get their Hollywood closeup.
Q. Do you think using homeless people to play themselves in a movie is genius? charitable? gimmicky?

REFLECTIONS
Letting Go
David Sedaris
Why quit smoking?
Q. What are the themes of the essay besides smoking?

ONWARD AND UPWARD WITH THE ARTS
After Hamlet
Cynthia Zarin
Mark Rylance comes to Broadway.
Q. Are Rylance's beliefs about Shakespeare's plays convincing? Do they matter with regard to his role at the Globe Theatre?

THE CRITICS

THE CURRENT CINEMA
“Iron Man,” “Then She Found Me.”
David Denby
Q. What are Denby's points about each film? If you've seen the film, do you agree? Would his review influence you whether to see it?

Meeting: Saturday, May 3, 2008

April 21, 2008


LETTER FROM THE YANGTZE DELTA
The Way of the Puffin
Jonathan Franzen
A journey through China’s future.
Q. Is JF optimistic about the Chinese philosophy of "growth now"? What makes his writing seem so intimate?

OUR LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS
Up and Then Down
Nick Paumgarten
The lives of elevators.
Q. What lessons do we learn from NP? (Besides "never get in an elevator without a cell phone!)

THE CRITICS
THE SKY LINE
New Airports in London, Beijing, and Madrid.
Paul Goldberger
Q. Is it really that important that airports have aesthetics? Do you care if an airport is more attractive than a train station or a highway?

DANCING
Basil Twist’s “Petrushka,” the Kirov Ballet.
Joan Acocella
Q. Are JA's reviews a reasonable substitute for attending these performances? She writes with forceful authority... do you think it is just opinion or does she have a foundation for her conclusions?

April 28, 2008


THE MAIL
Paul Wallfisch; M. L. Stein; Christopher A. Karachale
Q. Agree with these letter writers? Are they all well written? Why were they published?

LIFE AND LETTERS
Restoration Drama
Rebecca Mead
Trouble at Edith Wharton’s house.
Q. Is there a tragedy here? Does RM think so? Museums and history are expensive. Why does Edith Wharton's house and library and garden matter?

LETTER FROM CHINA
Crazy English
Evan Osnos
The Olympic bid to learn a new language.
Q. Does China have its own Tony Robbins now? What's good about this series of seminars? What's scary/bad? Is China a sleeping bear awakening?

THE CRITICS
BOOKS
Rereading Herodotus.
Daniel Mendelsohn
Q. More "history" writing. Why should we reread Herodotus? Aren't others doomed to repeat?

THE CURRENT CINEMA
“Baby Mama,” “Roman de Gare,” ”88 Minutes.
Anthony Lane
Q. Make a list of Lane's zingers. Which is best? Nine hours of Elves?