They say the New York Magazine is not the New Yorker. They say, we read the New Yorker but not the New York Magazine. They say Harold Ross started the New Yorker but not the New York Magazine. They say the New York Magazine may well have a larger circulation than the New Yorker and may be more fun than the New Yorker but it is not the New Yorker — it is not as literary and not as high-brow.
Admittedly the New York Magazine is not the New Yorker. Admitted that Clay Felker, the founder of New York Magazine, is not Harold Ross. But judging from this collection, the New York Magazine has a history as proud as, though admittedly shorter than, the New Yorker. An influence which at least in the last forty years may be comparable to the New Yorker (the style supplements which are so ubiquitous today started at the magazine) and a stable of writers almost as formidable as the one that the New Yorker has. The writers include Tom Wolfe, Nora Ephron, Gloria Steinem, Nick Cohn, Joe Klein, George Plimpton and many others who went on to do great things after writing for the New York Magazine. Ah yes, and the first bold steps of the women’s movement were announced here and the first issue of the Ms. Magazine was an insert to the New York Magazine.
The New York Magazine thought nothing of running a 25,000 word article called “Radical Chic: That party at Lenny’s” (included in this collection) about a dinner at the penthouse of Leonard Bernstein (the famous composer who straddled the music world like a colossus) feting the Black Panthers — terrorists with afro cuts. The whole magazine was just one article. The article was written by Tom Wolfe who went to the party on false pretence and milked it for all it was worth.
The New York Magazine at the very outset thought nothing of doing a daring portrait of the legendary and reclusive New Yorker editor William Shawn to define itself as also to draw the battle lines with the New Yorker.
And the article which led to the cult movie Saturday Night Fever appeared in the New York Magazine and was written by Nick Cohn. You just have to read the article to relive the movie starring John Travolta .
As this is a collection from the last forty years, it is an interesting exercise to imagine the impact a particular article must have had in the year it was published.
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There is a touching story about a correspondence between Woody Allen and a young girl from Coral Gables, Florida who became Woody’s pen pal and received letters in little brown envelopes encouraging her to read and explore the world, and treating her as an adult. It changed her life. Can you imagine the impact the article must have had when Woody Allen was going through his troubles with Mia Farrow, and his marriage with his Soon-Yi Previn, which he later described as the one fulfilling relationship in his life?
And there is a delicious little article of a dinner at Elaine’s which is really funny. Also starring Woody Allen, it is called “If you’ve been afraid to go to Elaine’s these past twenty years, here’s what you’ve missed” by the incomparable George Plimpton (note the title of the article is a small paragraph in itself).
The writing pulls no punches. A reporter of the magazine gets access to the iconic humour show Saturday Night Live and lays the making of the show bare.
One common thread running through all the articles is that they feel contemporary right through. That of course is one test of good writing — particularly good magazine writing. It never seems to age.
New York is the fish bowl at the centre of the universe with, it seems, goldfish and not so goldfish swimming in tighter and tighter concentric circles. The New York Magazine has been right there with a ring side seat for the last forty years. This collection is an excellent chance to enjoy that ring side view through the highs and the lows if you weren’t there yourself. If you were, then of course it is another matter.
NEW YORK STORIES
LANDMARK WRITING FROM FOUR DECADES OF NEW YORK MAGAZINE
Ed Steve Fishman, John Homans and Adam Moss
Random House
$17; 566pp