Posts tagged as Harper's
Do You Suffer From Lapham's Disease?
"The symptoms of this malady, named after the longtime editor of Harper’s, Lewis H. Lapham (now of Lapham’s Quarterly), include an elevated, orotund, deeply ironic prose style that, in severe cases, reveals almost nothing about what the topic is or what the author wishes to say about it except for a general sense of superiority to everyone and everything around." READ MORE
A Supposedly True Thing Jonathan Franzen Said About David Foster Wallace
There’s really no delicate way to put this: at this year’s New Yorker Festival, Jonathan Franzen said that David Foster Wallace fabricated at least part of—and potentially a large part of—his nonfiction pieces. I wasn’t there, but after reading Eric Alterman’s summary Friday, and finding no mention of the incident in any other coverage of the festival, I watched the conversation online. READ MORE
The Truly Tasteless Jokes Story
If you are of a certain age—which is to say if you are old enough to remember when people told jokes, rather than had "funny" Twitter feeds—part of your childhood was probably spent devouring Blanche Knott's Truly Tasteless series. (I'm pretty sure that's where I first learned the "pull on my penis" joke.) Anyway, you'll want to pick up the new Harper's: Ashton Applewhite, who was in fact "Blanche Knott," tells her story.
A Year Ago Today: Paul Ford
As cutbacks and labor strife roil the waters at venerable magazine institution Harper's, perhaps now would be a good time to look back at our chat with Paul Ford, who was then serving as the publication's web editor. Many of the issues discussed there still resound today!
Zadie Smith Joins 'Harper's'
The folks at Harper's have announced that writer Zadie Smith will be the magazine's new book critic as of the March 2011 issue.
Real America: Dan Baum's Sexy Gun
Earlier today we linked to a selection of questions answered by author Dan Baum about his latest Harper's cover story, "Happiness is a Worn Gun." Baum's examination of the feelings about carrying a concealed handgun may on the surface appear reasonable and inoffensive. A deeper look proves this is not the case. That's not all that surprising from a writer who starts his reasoning on gun research, "Why do we need to explain why we like guns? Nobody feels a need to explain why people like guitars, or radios, or model trains. What makes guns different?" The obvious answer to Baum's dumb question is "because guitars and model trains don't kill people." But Baum's is the wrong question. READ MORE
Guns and Fear
"Guns are hugely attractive. They are perhaps the best-made consumer products we can buy. What else that you buy today will be functioning exactly as well 100 years from now as it is today? I actually think Michael Moore had it right in Bowling for Columbine. The problem in the United States isn't guns, it's fear – fear that serves many, many interests and thus will be hard to squelch." READ MORE
'Harper's' On 'The Room'
"He tried to make a conventional film and would up with something so inexplicable and casually surreal that no practicing surrealist could ever convincingly ape its form, except by exact imitation. It is the movie that an alien who has never seen a movie might make after having movies thoroughly explained to him." READ MORE
A Conversation with Paul Ford, Web Editor of Harper's Magazine
Paul Ford is an associate editor at Harper's Magazine. His duties include the full operation of the website. We requested that he join us for a conversation about the magazine, its website and the site's paywall choices and goals. READ MORE
