The New York Review of Books arrived yesterday and in the back were dozens of letters – most of them from Canadians – denouncing Ian Buruma’s decision to publish an article by Jian Ghomeshi, the Canadian broadcaster and musician who has been accused of sexual misconduct. Buruma was relieved of his duties as editor, making this a rare instance of Canadian influence in the running of a Manhattan publication.
The problem with posting on Facebook clips from TV is that they appear with subtitles. So I am sure that Trevor Noah had an interesting point to make the other night but as soon as I read, “For me, I feel like there is a larger narrative…” I was so torn between exasperation at the first two unnecessary words – which would not have chafed when delivered in Noah’s South African accent – and annoyance over the massively overused “narrative” that I had no desire to listen to what he had to say afterwards.
The Durrells in Corfu is highly romanticized and factually inaccurate, but the acting and the writing override these complaints. As well as the fact that it’s a television show about an expat family that produced two writers.
I turned to the Travel Channel last night expecting to see Bizarre Foods and found Ghost Adventures. Apparently the focus is switching from the evanescent to the nonexistent.
Sunday’s New York Times featured a front page picture of a lake in China green with algae. It was promoting the cover story – actually, the only story – in the magazine, which was on how we have irreparably damaged our planet. The book review carried on its cover an illustration of a family looking out on a landscape of oil drills, homeless people, and abandoned houses above a list of four books chronicling various aspects of our national decline.
Next Sunday I expect the headline: “Study reveals increased depression among Times’ readers.”
Yesterday I settled down with the New York Times just as CBS Sunday Morning was starting. Among the features previewed was one on Jimmy Kimmel, which I had seen. And I wondered: How long before newspapers, with their depleted staffs, start reprinting favorite articles?