Today's Doge-decorated Jonathan Mahler New York Times op-ed declaration of war against thoughtless #longform writering culture rubbed some readers the wrong way. An internet commenter named "Rick Moody," of "Brooklyn," has offered a counter-denunciation of "the vapidity of short form."
Happy Birthday
Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's inimitable editor-at-large, turns 60 today. Actor Tim Robbins is turning 51. John Mayer is 32. Angela Lansbury is 84. Sports commentator Tim McCarver turns 68. JetBlue founder David Neeleman is turning 50. David Zucker, the man who directed Airplane! and The Naked Gun, is 62. Broadway…
Happy Birthday
Wyclef Jean has been busy stumping for Obama as of late, but perhaps he'll find time to take a short break today to celebrate his 36th birthday. Others who may (or may not) indulge in cake today: Socialite Debbie Bancroft is 54. Artist Ryan McGinley is 31. Chicago director Rob Marshall is 48. Legendary newsman Jimmy…
Rick Moody is Over Himself, OK?
The Ice Storm author and Dale Peck nemesis says, "After 9/11, I really wanted to deal with the culture as a whole instead of just navel-gazing." Moody calls his 1992 book Garden State (no relation to the Natalie Portman/Zach Braff film) "a truly dreadful book but it's emotionally accessible and vulnerable and I admire…
Rick Moody
Moody is author of a number of successful novels, including The Ice Storm, Demonology, and Purple America.
Rick Moody and the Times Square trannies
Rick Moody's Black Veil is a pretty standard nonfiction novel memoir travel book literary critical recovery tome. (Yes, that's his description. More interesting than the Ice Storm author's struggle with alcohol: what he didn't publish). A description of a trip to a tranny bar didn't make it past the publishers. Don't…
Divining the Truth: Who Knocked Michiko Kakutani?
So, surprise of surprises, this week's Time Out has a fairly interesting feature in which New York's professional critics are judged by a panel of experts. There aren't many shocks (The New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones and Alex Ross are great music critics, Frank Bruni is inferior to his $25-and-Under colleague Peter…
CitySecrets
Architect Robert Kahn's CitySecrets guidebooks offer an impressive collection of insider tips provided by contributors such as Michael Cunningham, Penelope Lively, Rick Moody, and fellow architect Richard Meier. Selected sites include the main room in the McKim Mead & White-designed Metropolitan Club, a three-painting…
