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Ved Mehta has often been accused of being the least lively, most irrelevant writer at the New Yorker magazine. But his vivid, eccentric, almost Thurberesquely embittered memoir of his life there stands as the most revealing book yet on the most fascinating magazine in modern history. That's right, it's more revealing than Brendan Gill's classic Here at the New Yorker, Jay McInerney's cocaine-edged satirical roman à clef, Bright Lights, Big City, and Here but Not Here: A Love Story, by Lillian Ross, the mistress of the mag's legendary editor William Shawn.
It speaks volumes about the nature of the New Yorker that Mehta is capable of saying--apropos of one of his articles about theologians--that "writing about God presented special difficulties, both because of the nature of the subject and because of the sensibilities of the various believers." Mehta is dead serious here, as he apparently always is. Only in the New Yorker, kids, could anyone in the magazine biz get away with the sky-high idealism Mehta eloquently describes. And only a guy like Mehta could describe the specifics of Shawn's invisible art of editing and the human maelstrom that swirled around him.
Writing about Mr. Shawn presents special difficulties because he worked in mysterious ways and thwarted attempts to cast light on him as effectively as a black hole in outer space. But Mehta was a sort of surrogate son to Shawn, not only part of the innermost circle of the xenophobic publication but sometimes the sole non-family member invited to the Shawns' Thanksgiving feasts. Mehta takes us to the parties where the phenomenally repressed Shawn "cut loose" (who would've guessed this was one of his favorite phrases?), pounding out "Anything Goes" and "Don't Fence Me In" on the piano in a rocking stride style.
The best stuff in the book is its portrait of Mr. Shawn's intriguing wife, Cecille, the comments of their movie-famous son Wallace (coauthor of My Dinner with Andre), and the bilious dinner-table and office gossip that Mehta lets us overhear. Did you know that the talented writer Maeve Brennan went insane and lived in the New Yorker's ladies' room until she started smashing the glass portion of the business manager's door? (For the full story, see William Maxwell's introduction to Brennan's brilliant Springs of Affection, posthumously released in 1997.) Mehta is also in some ways in a better position than Lillian Ross to explain her function in William Shawn's life: "desk-bound as he was, and hemmed in by his phobias, [Shawn] relied on Lillian as his special eyes and ears, to keep him abreast of things going on in the city and in the culture at large."
Alas, times in the publishing industry changed brutally, while Mr. Shawn did not. Mehta gives good dirt about the bloody battle for succession to Shawn's throne--one of the plotters was dubbed "the Slasher." He never gives deeper insights than when he tells a story about the New Yorker's troubles as only an insider could while entirely, sublimely missing the point as only a New Yorker insider can. He's so loyal to his editor that he seems unaware that sometimes the man and the magazine were simply wrong, particularly when facts were altered in small ways in essays not billed as fiction.
Yet as countless New Yorker writers will tell you in person, but few have described in print, Mr. Shawn was also an editorial genius and a titanic soul. It is a privilege to be introduced to him by Mr. Mehta. --Tim Appelo
Customer Reviews:
Wow. Tough room........2006-10-24
I'm surprised three of the prior four reviewers found this title deserving of just four stars. I found this book to be an illuminating work, exposing the intriguing convergence of factors that made The New Yorker great in its formative years. It wasn't Mr. Shawn alone, but the culture he created. He created it by example, and his example drove the magazine's writers to a level of excellence rarely seen since.
The author's success in capturing the tone Shawn set is powerful testimony to Ved Metha's skill as a writer. But beyond that, his book brings into focus a management style sorely lacking in today's enterprises, be they magazines, professional offices, retail stores -- whatever. That style is one which prizes pleasing the customer over profits, because it recognizes that happy customers are the KEY to long-term profitability.
Should we be surprised that our publications have become cursory instruments which place a greater emphasis on flashy advertising than on editorial substance when the vast majority of "publishers" have climbed the accounting side of their particular corporation's ladder, rather than the editorial side?
Editors of Mr. Shawn's caliber no longer exist because what used to be their primary job -- ensuring the accuracy and quality of editorial content -- no longer exists. Gone are the fact checkers and the grammarians, not to mention intelligent writers, able to produce 5,000 incisive words on the economy as easily as 7,000 on border disputes in the Middle East. And those writers are gone because their publications' ownerships lack the business sense necessary to build a following (or the attention span to appreciate any article which does not end on the same page upon which it begins).
And as sure as these bean-counting bottom liners have no business being publishers, any editor who hasn't read this book shouldn't be editing anything.
All Ved Mehta Books Are Wonderful.......2006-03-09
I urge everyone to collect these wonderful books. Ved Mehta writes with care, and from an unusual point of view. I have enjoyed this book in particular. His attention to detail is nothing less than amazing. He is a well-educated man, very scholarly, and it does come through in his books. As good as Churchill, Camus, and Ignatieff, if not better.
Time passing........2001-05-28
Intriguing and informative look at a title (and by extension, an industry) in transition. Clearly illustrates both the reasons for and effects of corporate acquisition of magazines. Mehta's tone of hero worship for Shawn is occasionally grating. In fairness, this may be earned, as the Mr. Shawn in this book has many qualities you'd expect from a quiet hero. Fascinating stuff.
Any Ved Mehta book is wonderful, this is not his best........1999-03-02
Ved Mehta is my favorite writer. I've bought nearly all his books, even old ones out of print that I've found through Amazon. Ved Mehta's endearing personality and superb writing style make an irresistable combination. Having said that, I must also say that Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker is the Mehta book I like least. It is the latest volume in Ved Mehta's autobiography, but it reveals too little about Mr. Mehta and redundantly much about Mr. Shawn. It tells more about the New Yorker than I really care to know, although I have been a New Yorker fan for years. Perhaps this book simply lacks the editorial guidance Mr. Shawn gave to Mehta's previous books. On the other hand, an unexpected gift I found in Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker is an explanation of the background behind other Mehta books written while Mehta was on the New Yorker staff. I do recommend that all Mehta and New Yorker fans read this book, but don't set your expectations too high.
I enjoyed this book........1998-12-18
I had never read any of Ved Mehta's books or articles before this. He offers an interesting glimpse into the New Yorker and "Mr. Shawn's" role as editor of the fabled magazine. He also offers a look into a writers life as he describes how the New Yorker cultivated and nurtured the writers it had in it's cubicles. I never subscribed to the New Yorker during William Shawn's time as editor. But, a few years ago I snuck into the old offices on 43rd Street. The writers cubicles were gone but, there outlines were still on the floor. There were odd pieces here and there of the writers who once filled the spaces were scattered about. A pencil here, an old wooden easel there, an old office chair, notes and drawings scribbled on a wall. Mehta fills in the space and one can almost here the clacking of typewriters and muffled conversations as writers work in a unique environment of a unique magazine. It seemed like a very interesting time to be a writer there. Before the Tina Brown's bought "Celebrity Culture" to the magizine. A time when editors like Shawn were more interested in ideas than superficial popularity.
Mike Girardo New York
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Columbia Journalism Review, published by Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism on May 1, 1998. The length of the article is 778 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker: The Invisible Art of Editing.
Author: Lance Morrow
Publication:
Columbia Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 1998
Publisher: Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism
Volume: v37
Issue: n1
Page: p75(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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The willy Mr. Shawn.("New Yorker" editor William Shawn)(Review): An article from: New Criterion
Brooke Allen
Manufacturer: Foundation for Cultural Review
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ASIN: B00098RNMG
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from New Criterion, published by Foundation for Cultural Review on September 1, 1998. The length of the article is 2894 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The willy Mr. Shawn.("New Yorker" editor William Shawn)(Review)
Author: Brooke Allen
Publication:
New Criterion (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 1998
Publisher: Foundation for Cultural Review
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Page: 56(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
For the first time in trade paperback, entertainer, singer, and pop culture icon Donny Osmond returns to bring his life story up-to-dateDonny Osmond has been a superstar since the age of six -- one of the few child stars whose popularity has endured for four decades. He's been a teen idol, a Broadway actor, and a talk show host, and to this day is still touring to sold-out crowds. This new edition of his acclaimed memoir fills in the gaps for his millions of fans, with three new chapters providing more fun, more revelations, more faith, more love, and more laughter.
Customer Reviews:
A book that is impossible to put down.......2007-05-31
I read it in 3 days. Just a great book (I don't think I would make it as a professional reviewer)!
Too Many Words Too LIttle Honesty.......2006-11-20
I love biographies and I loved the Donny and Marie show as a kid. I thought I would really like this book, but it was very poorly written. It is amazing to me the Donny Osmond had the help of a professional.
Donny spent so much of the book defending the actions of his obviously controlling father, a situation so common when children become entertainers. The book did not come across as real. He spent too much time trying to spare everyone's feelings. He spent too much time talking about how great his family was when they very clearly weren't.
There didn't need to be dirt, but it seems the author still has not come to terms with his family situation while growing up. I hope he writes a more honest book some day when he is older.
Best Autobiography ever.......2004-02-10
As much as I followed the Osmond Family careers, I read this hoping to find all the rumors to be false. It opened my eyes to how it really was for him in the limelight.
Glad to have the MAN back......the little boy grew up.
Very Spiritual, inspiring........2002-01-14
You do not need to be a Donny Osmond fan, or an Osmond fan for that matter to appreciate the message in this book.
Read this book, and learn about the Osmond's strength in their spiritual beliefs; learn about Donny's severe social anxiety dissorder, and how he copes with it.
I strongly recomend this book!!
Not an Osmond fan but loved the book.......2001-09-08
...While I will probably never be a fan of the music I really enjoyed the book. I think there are some important lessons here regarding raising children in the entertainment industry. Lesson #1 - Don't do it! Frankly I am a bit surprised that he did not end up another casualty of child celebrity or head into dark places like his friend Michael Jackson. I was most impressed with Osmond's honesty and candor. His handling of his devastating career collapse as well as his social phobia really make for good reading. Somehow I suspect we haven't seen the end of Donny Osmond. Even if you run screaming whenever "Puppy Soldier of Love" comes on you may still enjoy the book. I certainly did.
Book Description
Paula Radcliffe has been hailed as one of the finest female distance runners of all time. Her amazing run of record-breaking victories in 2002 and 2003, including smashing the women’s world marathon record in Chicago and then again in London, showed an athlete at the peak of her powers. Such was her dominance that a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens seemed almost a formality. But as the world watched, and a nation held its breath, that historic race ended for her on a dusty curbside instead of the podium. Paula has become a passionate spokesperson against drug cheats and, inspired by her own battle with the condition, is widely admired for her patronage of asthma charities. And even though Athens in 2004 proved to be more Greek tragedy than triumph, her popularity remains undimmed. Her remarkable life story of highs and lows is fully chronicled in this fascinating and inspiring autobiography.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring - and honest.......2007-03-25
Being a runner, I love reading about runners, and their stories. Paula Radcliffe comes across in this book with frank honesty. She doesn't sugarcoat it, and tells it straight. She comes across confident, but human, like just another person. Granted, she is an elite athlete that has accomplished much in her life, but unlike some autobiographies, she doesn't sit there and tell you how great she is.
I learned a lot about Radcliffe herself in the book, along with a lot of interesting things about running, injuries, dealing with injuries, the triumph of her victories, the agony of her defeats, her drive to always give it her all, and that she is quite funny at times throughout the book.
Also, for those of you that don't know, she is asthmatic and if you know someone that has asthma and struggles with it, get them a copy of this book. It will inspire them.
The Real Experience of Running.......2006-06-25
This book really starts in Chapter 4 for the running enthusiast. The first three chapters provide an insight into Paula Radcliffe's childhood. The final 17 chapters provide indepth descriptions of the motivation, injury, pain, perseverance and acheivement of a deicated runner. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the emotional, psychological and physical characteristics of a serious and successful athlete.
Book Description
David Aaker has become the guru of brand strategy with his impact research, twelve books, hundred-plus articles, consulting, and speaking. From Fargo to the World of Brands details the intellectual journey that led to a focus on brandsâwith stops in marketing models, market research, advertising management, emotional advertising, and business strategyâand chronicles his attempts to influence management practices. It provides a profile of academic life, the story of a brand consulting company, and a description of the rich experience associated with his second professional home in Japan.
This warmhearted autobiography also describes Aaker's personal lifeâgrowing up in the Midwest in the '40s and '50s, his roots, how a Fargo boy over his head survived at MIT and Stanford, his entrepreneurial failure, his passions and relationships, and how the Aaker family evolved over forty years.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2006-02-22
On the surface, a light and fun book about growing up in the fifties and sixties, much like my parents, aunts and uncles and generally being pretty "square". Again much like my family....unless they aren't telling me something. Especially intersting because I know many of the characters (Dave is the Father of my very close friend.)
Underneath that is fascinating insight into Dave's profession, which I knew very little about and his leading role in its evolvement. I Recommmend this book.
Book Description
In this frank, funny, and often challenging memoir about life in and out of the church, twenty-something Patton Dodd reveals his quest for an authentic experience of God. On his journey he attempts to pinpoint and justify his belief in God, first with the fervent absolutes that characterize a new believer’s faith but then with a growing awareness of the cultural complexities that define his faith and encompass his understanding of Christianity.
When a spiritual awakening in his last year of high school wrenches Dodd out of his rebellious party days, he embarks on a quest for God. He exchanges pot smoking for worship dancing, gives up MTV for Christian pop, and enrolls at a Christian university. Soon, however, he finds himself ill at ease with the other Christians around him and with the cloying superficiality of the Christian subculture. Dodd tells his story in contradictory terms—conversion and confusion, acceptance and rejection, spiritual highs and psychological lows. With painstaking honesty, he tries to negotiate a relationship with his faith apart from the cultural trappings that often clothe it.
Dodd’s moving story paints a nuanced and multilayered portrait of an earnest quest for God: the hunger for genuine faith, the bleak encounters with doubt, and the consuming questions that challenge the intellect and the soul. This is a story that will resonate with the emerging generation of young adults attempting to break new ground within their own faith tradition.
Customer Reviews:
A glimpse of what it's like to be a charismatic evangelical (and go to Oral Roberts University!).......2005-08-16
If you're of the opinion that autobiographies should wait until the author's twilight years when he's lived his life and figured out what it means, this is not your book. My Faith So Far covers the author's high school and college years, and the end of the book is a confession that the questions and doubts the he had then are still kicking around inside him.
We get to follow Patton's trip through the culture of evangelical/charasmatic Christianity in Colorado Springs and then at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. He writes much of the book in present tense, which sometimes makes it hard to tell whether he's describing beliefs he had then or ones he holds now, but which also give his story immediacy. I was with him as he struggled with listening to Christian music, which was often second-rate, versus secular music, which made him feel guilty. He's the real deal, not a tourist--he speaks in tongues, prays for hours, testifies to unbelievers--but he still questions himself and what the church is telling him. I loved the tour of Oral Roberts University, where the students have a dress code and prayer circles take up most of Technical Journalism class. Patton shows himself and other students making fun of the excesses of Christian culture, but he never loses the earnest desire to find out what Christianity is for him.
As a secular person, I found nothing in this book to offend me--no thoughtless slams or assumptions-- and much to fascinate me. Patton's philosophizing and angst were sometimes skimmable, but it was an accurate portrait of the thoughts and conversations of someone that age. I will definitely check out any future books of his.
Non-Christian Fan.......2005-06-28
I'm not an evangelical nor Christian in any real sense, but I think this is a terrific little memoir. My use of "little" isn't derogatory -- it's a short book, precisely told, revealing much about growing up in the last few decades as well as the changing shape of religion in America. Mainly, though, it's a good story.
provocative and lively.......2005-01-04
With rare honesty and at times gut-twisting vulnerability, Patton Dodd presents a unique perspective on wrestling with one's faith. His experience touches on the nearly universal longing to believe, a longing wrought with the fear of placing one's faith in something that doesn't warrent such whole-hearted commitment. As he gives himself over to what he hopes will be a life-changing conversion, he soon learns that nothing comes easily. And as life becomes littered with doubts, he finds himself wondering what to do with the faith that remains. Dodd's thought-provoking, often-humorous account of his faith journey thus far will resonate with all those who have abandoned their faith over similar doubts, those who cling to their faith despite their doubts--and those who have yet to admit such doubts, even to themselves.
A "must read" for all God-seekers!.......2004-12-24
I just finished reading Patton Dodd's book, and it is truly an extraordinary account of how faith develops in real, contemporary life. It's funny, self-deprecating, and God-loving all at the same time. To be able to write and reflect on one's faith, and one's relationship with God, with such honesty is a remarkable feat. If only all Christians were so honest with themselves and with others!
For me, this book is right up there with other contemporary spiritual autobiographies such as Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, CS Lewis's Surprised by Joy, and Mary Blye Howe's A Baptist Among the Jews.
Great for High School Youth Groups.......2004-12-01
Patton Dodd does a fantastic job pulling away the curtain from a very curious American subculture--Charismatic Pentecostal Evangelical Christianity. For many of us whose history has touched this subculture, My Faith So Far helps put into words many of the feelings and anxiety that repelled us from it and, in some cases, from Christianity entirely. Patton provides a hopeful story about the struggle to find or at least journey toward authentic faith.
While most readers probably won't identify with Patton's over-the-top, radical, other-worldly embrace of Charismatic worship, his critique of the Charismatic culture will resonate with anyone who has earnestly observed this brand of Christianity and walked away scratching his/her head.
My Faith So Far is a very brisk read and easy to get through in one or two sittings. It's not a scholarly read, but it does put the Charismatic movement into context and may help lead readers into a deeper discussion about the oddities of faith and the struggle to become authentically Christian.
This would be a great book for high school youth groups, especially evangelical youth groups.
Average customer rating:
- Freddie Flintoff's Story - Outstanding Reading
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Being Freddie: My Story So Far
Andrew Flintoff
Manufacturer: Hodder Headline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Cricket
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ASIN: 0340896280 |
Book Description
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff is one of the most exciting cricketers in the world, and has gained more and more notoriety through the last few years. This book marks his story so far in his own words, taking us up to and including the summer of 2005. Freddie highlights the moments and matches in his career that helped him dramatically on his way forward, and reveals what it is like to play for one of the most successful England cricket teams in recent times.
Customer Reviews:
Freddie Flintoff's Story - Outstanding Reading.......2005-11-21
I don't normally purchase books about stars who are in their prime but in the case of "Freddie" I made an exception. This book was read in just a few days and later on I plan to read it again and again. I have enjoyed every single page and nothing in this book was hard to read, heavy or boring. Andrew Flintoff has had some pretty difficult times, but through the honesty of true friends and by displaying a determination to reach the top in cricket he has been able to turn things around to the point that this summer he played a vital role in the glorious Ashes success over Australia. Though that Ashes success is only a few weeks old Andrew Flintoff details his thoughts and memories during those mesmerizing weeks This book also contains lots of beautiful colour photographs of Andrew Flintoff's career to date along with those from the recent Ashes success. Reading this book demonstrates plainly that Andrew Flintoff, world cricketing superstar, is still a down to earth bloke. I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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My Story So Far
Shearer
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Soccer
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ASIN: 0340708476 |
Customer Reviews:
Shearer's 4 star story.......2000-10-09
A book explaining the life of such an incredible player HAD to be interesting, no matter how poorly written, and even if it was in another languege. Luckily, this is very well written and very interesting. And most importantly, its in English. It tells you lots of interesting facts, and tells about his most important achievements, plus some humorous stories. It jumps around a bit, but explains from childhood to just about now, and is well worth reading!
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A screw loose: My story so far
Sue Caron
Manufacturer: B and T Publishers
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Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0905934008 |
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Shearer: My Story So Far
Alan Shearer
Manufacturer: Hodder/Headline Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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ASIN: 1859989721 |
Books:
- Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers
- Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases (University Casebook Series)
- Secret Memoirs of Princess Lamballe: Her Confidential Relations With Marie Antoinette
- The Akhmatova Journals: 1938-41
- The Brief English Handbook: A Guide to Writing, Thinking, Grammar, and Research, Seventh Edition
- The Case Of The Murdered Muckraker: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries)
- THE COURTSHIP OF CATHERINE THE GREAT.
- The Day Diana Died
- The Day John Died
- The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (Penguin Classics)
Books Index
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Here But Not Here: My Life with William Shawn and The New Yorker
Here at the New Yorker
About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made
Portrait of Hemingway (Modern Library)
The Years with Ross (Perennial Classics)
