1. iSteve: The Book of Jobs, the first official biography of Steve Jobs, will be making its debut sometime in early 2012; it will be written by Walter Isaacson, who is the managing editor of Time, and published by Simon & Schuster. [via CNN]
2. How to make friends: In an attempt to increase engagement on its Facebook page, The New Yorker is putting an article by Jonathan Franzen about mourning the loss of his author friend David Foster Wallace behind a “Like” wall as opposed to on the magazine’s website. [via Mashable]
3. Michael Shannon will play General Zod, a villain who faces off against Superman in Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot. According to the director: “Zod is one of Superman’s most significant enemies because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character.” [via Vulture]
4. Yoko Ono has given her permission for the first collection of John Lennon’s correspondence to be printed in October 2012. The book will be edited by Hunter Davies, the official Beatles biographer; anyone who has a Lennon letter to share may contact him at johnlennonletters@hotmail.co.uk. [via The Guardian]
5. According to a report in The Sun (so take it with a grain of salt), Mick Jagger and David Bowie are set to start work on a comedic film about a pair of rock managers in the 1960s that they’ve been writing for the last 15 years. If this proves true, they better being planning to cameo. [via Such Small Portions]
Bonus link: Stream Crystal Stilts’ In Love With Oblivion
Culture is an ever-evolving beast, it’s true. We may not be completely sure where it’s going, but we do know where it’s been, and how better to track our progress than by looking at the changes in the most popular (and enduring) lifestyle and culture magazines in American culture? We’ve already taken a look at redesigned book covers, but magazines are a more immediate reflection of our selves – like advertisements, they’re a reflection of a cultural ideal. Plus, well, they’re fun to look at. Click through to see the vintage covers and contemporary redesigns of your favorite American rags, and let us know if you think we’re changing for the better or worse.
Read More »
Welcome to Conversation Pieces, where Flavorpill curates five articles from the past week that you should read. Some are long, others are short. Some are from major publications, others aren’t. The only thing all these articles have in common is that they’re interesting. This week we examine cures for writer’s block, what being a Luddite originally meant, robots that think they’re human, the virtues of solitude, and more. After the jump, find something exciting to discuss this weekend in the home, at the bar, or on the street.
Read More »
On the heels of a 30 Rock episode that took on everything from Jezebel to Sarah Silverman in a brilliant (and hilarious) send-up of the eternal “women in comedy” controversies, Tina Fey has a wonderful new essay in The New Yorker about her time at Saturday Night Live. In addition to a laugh-out-loud funny section enumerating what she learned from Lorne Michaels (“Producing is about discouraging creativity”), Fey enlightens us to the real difference between male and female comedy writers. Learn the disgusting truth in an excerpt after the jump, and then make sure you click over to The New Yorker to read the whole, well-worth-the-pay-wall piece.
Read More »
Guess what, bookworms? There’s a new David Foster Wallace short story in The New Yorker this week! But don’t worry about leaving the comfort of your home or workplace to grab a copy ASAP, because the magazine has generously posted the full text of “Backbone” online, paywall-free — although we’re sure completists will want to shell out for a hard copy, too. The story is about (nominally, at least) a six-year-old boy whose “goal was to be able to press his lips to every square inch of his own body.” Hey, sure. Sounds like DFW to us. This should tide us over until Wallace’s final, unfinished novel The Pale King comes out April 15th. [via Jacket Copy]
Recently, the New Yorker has come under fire from feminists upset that the magazine features so few women. So, while it may just be a token gesture or an exception because she’s such a big name, we’re happy to see that one Tina Fey appears in this week’s issue — with an essay that will resonate with many women. In “Confessions of a Juggler” (behind a pay wall, but well worth throwing down for), Fey — whose book Bossypants comes out April 5th — balances humor and cutting insight to broach the contentious issue of working motherhood and her own struggle to decide whether she wants another child. Make sure you read the entire piece at some point, but first allow us to whet your appetite with some of our favorite quotes.
Read More »
The sad news broke this week that the Algonquin Hotel, long one of New York’s literary landmarks, is being converted into a Marriott — or at least, becoming one node of the super-hotel-chain’s “Autograph Collection.” Hopefully the new owners won’t rob the historic hotel of its charms, but we’re still planning to go grab a drink while the ghost of Dorothy Parker is a more prominent part of the decor than olive-and-taupe-tapestries. And just to remind you why you should care — or visit, if you can — we’ve compiled a list of culturally relevant happenings at the Algonquin over the years.
Read More »
1. The New York Times has issued a correction for Lynn Hirschberg’s M.I.A. profile, admitting that certain quotes were presented out of order. [via The Daily Swarm]
2. The New Yorker‘s “20 under 40″ list of fiction writers is out; it’s chock full of thirtysomethings, and the youngest person included is Téa Obreht, 24. [via The Awl]
3. The Smashing Pumpkins will go on a tour of smaller venues this summer, playing what Billy Corgan calls, “a balance of classics, a few obscure ones, and new material.” [via Spin]
4. Apple has applied for a patent for a solar-powered iPhone. (Side note: Have you downloaded Flavorpill’s free iPhone app yet?) [via Inhabitat]
5. Listen to Dirty Projectors cover Bob Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine.” [via Vulture]
Bonus link: Sarah Silverman Loses Her Virginity
Last April The New Yorker‘s music critic Sasha Frere-Jones wrote an eloquent defense of the divisive pop star. We were excited. Looking at David Sipress’ “Take us to Lady Gaga” cartoon, published in the 3/29 issue, we are nothing short of thrilled by these “Poker Face”-lovin’ aliens. Tutus! Hair bows! Sunglasses! And look, no pants! The Fame Monster has won, y’all. Game, set, match, Gaga. [via Buzzfeed]
Genius satirist George Saunders is by no means new to awards. With both the MacArthur Foundation and Guggenheim Fellowships under his belt, it comes as no surprise that Saunders’ short story, “Victory Lap,” which is about the kidnapping of a teenage girl, grabbed a nod for ASME’s 2010 National Magazine Awards in its fiction category yesterday. Originally published in The New Yorker on October 5th, 2009, the story toys with perspective, channeling the voices of three distinctive characters.
Read More »
