COMPASSION
True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.
— Pema Chodron
In this week’s New Yorker
March 28, 2012Hilton Als lets us know that he loves Jesus, the same way Patti Smith does, but boy, does he not love Des McAnuff’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway.
Rebecca Mead provides a coolly factual portrait of Christine Quinn, who may well be the next mayor of New York City.
David Sedaris writes a Personal History essay about his favorable experience with socialized medicine (specifically his dentist) in France, in contrast to current American preconceptions: “One thing that puzzled me during the American health-care debate was all the talk about socialized medicine and how ineffective it’s supposed to be. The Canadian plan was likened to genocide, but even worse were the ones in Europe, where patients languished on filthy cots, waiting for aspirin to be invented.”
But the highlight of the issue by far is “The Transition,” an excerpt from the great Lyndon B. Johnson biographer Robert A. Caro’s next volume microscopically detailing the events of the morning of November 22, 1963. Even though the outline of that infamous day in American history is known to one and all, not so well-known aspects to the story are: the brewing financial scandal LBJ was facing (quickly squashed when he became president), exactly how miserably he hated being Vice President, what happened inside the cars in the presidential motorcade in Dallas, how delicately thoughtful and solicitous LBJ was of Jackie Kennedy, and all the logistical details that led up to his being sworn in after the assassination. A must-read.
Then there’s the cover by George Booth, titled “Rite of Spring.” As Andy noted, what the hell are we supposed to think is going on here?
Playlist: iPod shuffle, 3/28/12
March 28, 2012“The Bad in Each Other,” Feist
“Cold War,” Janelle Monae
“I Feel It All,” Feist
“Best Friends, Right?” Amy Winehouse
“Took You Two Years to Win My Heart,” Final Fantasy
“Dreamworld: Marco De Canaveses,” David Byrne & Caetano Veloso
“A Thousand Kisses Deep,” Leonard Cohen
“Il Pleure Dan Mon Coeur,” Dawn Upshaw
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” Euan Morton (Taboo OCR)
“Soft,” Lemon Jelly
“Bewitched,” Daniel Barnett and Richard Sisson (The History Boys OST)
“Electric Chapel,” Lady GaGa
“Rigoletto: Scena Ed Aria, Gualtier Malde & Caro Nome,” Joan Sutherland
“Gotta Have Someone,” Teddy Thompson
“Warm,” the Four Freshmen
Photo diary: weekend in New York City
March 26, 2012
Michael Serrapica (with Andy Holtzman and friend) at "The Eyes Have It," the Il Chiostro art show at 25CPW Gallery
starlettas in bloom on Jane Street
Mike Banino, guest of honor at his surprise 40th birthday party, singing with fellow members of the Hangovers, Cornell's a cappella group (Andy Willett and Terry Horner)
decor on the third floor of 5 Ninth
men's room wallpaper
singing in the limo on the way to the after-party ("A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "Round Midnight," if you must know)
Kim and Jake
Terry
Viva, co-host (with Ian) of the Silly Mustache After-Party
the next day, on Bleecker Street after brunch at Jane: Uday, Anne-Cecile, Cesar, and Andy
the monthly video salon: Tom, Craig, Jonathan, Andy, Dave, Andy, Michael, and Stephen
New York stories
March 26, 20121) As I’m going into yoga class, coming out is…Harvey Keitel.
2) There are zero laundromats in my neighborhood. The only one, the wonderful Second Wave Laundrette at 55th Street and Ninth Avenue, closed almost two years ago. Now, what’s going into that space? Just what midtown needs: another Citibank.
3) The plaques affixed shin-level at giant office buildings around New York that used to broadcast the alluring phrase Standpipe Siamese (Andy used it as the name of a rock band in his novel) have been replaced with signs written in much more mundane, threadbare language: Siamese For Retail Only, Standpipe and Sprinkler Combination. Sigh.
4) The people have spoken:
another eye opens 