Bob Mankoff, who has been editing New Yorker 'toons since God knows when, while publishing his own there, in a recent essay with 'toons explored the connection between malice and wit. Spectacularly. Here's the opener, slightly pruned: Shakespeare was wrong when he wrote that “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Perhaps “hostility” is a betterContinue reading “New Yorker editor: Hostility is the soul of wit”
Tag Archives: wit
The wit and wisdom of David Brower: the teepee
David Brower, the late great executive director of the Sierra Club, founder of Friends of the Earth, conservationist extraordinaire, is given plenty of credit for his accomplishments, but not, in my estimation, nearly enough credit for his wit, courage, and charm. All by himself, he demolishes any number of cliches about conservationists; that is, thatContinue reading “The wit and wisdom of David Brower: the teepee”
“Follow your path, provided it goes up” — Pierre Boulez
Wise words from the great Pierre Boulez, in a lovely profile written by Mark Swed of The Los Angeles Times. How pleasant to hear the witty, thoughtful, bold Boulez speak out, mostly about music, but also about modernity, individuality, aging — on and on. Some folks deserve their fame; he's one. Let's call this theContinue reading ““Follow your path, provided it goes up” — Pierre Boulez”
How to Communicate with Anyone
Yours truly has become convinced that John Cheever, the short story writer often called "the American Chekhov," is vastly underappreciated as a wit, and even (much like Chekhov himself) as a thinker: Here's an example of his thinking…more to follow soon from Blake Bailey's spectacular biography: You can't expect to communicate with anyone if you'reContinue reading “How to Communicate with Anyone”
Kit Stolz 