THIS ISSUE — TEXAS MONTHLY (2009.08)
FEATURES:
— THE 50 GREATEST HAMBURGERS IN TEXAS: On our first-ever quest for the state’s best burgers, we covered more than 12,000 miles, ate at more than 250 restaurants, and gained, collectively, more than 40 pounds. Our dauntless determination (and fearless fat intake) was rewarded with a list of 50 transcendent burgers — and you’ll never guess which one ended up on top.
— THE JUDGMENT OF SHARON KELLER (Michael Hall): Her decision to close the door on a death row inmate’s final plea has earned the state’s top criminal judge lasting infamy and a misconduct investigation that goes to trial this month. But was she wrong?
— PITCH PERFECT (John Spong): What’s the secret to writing a great country song? Which comes first, music or lyrics? Looking to answer these and other questions, we gathered a group of singer-songwriters — Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Sonny Throckmorton, Patty Griffin, and Jack Ingram — set out a couple guitars, and let the tape roll.
— BRINGING DOWN THE DOGMEN (Skip Hollandsworth): The bust that nabbed Houston’s top dogfighters was the work of two gutsy undercover cops who knew that the only way to infiltrate this secret world was to become dogfighters themselves.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
An exclusive excerpt from Oscar Cesares’ forthcoming first novel; Mimi Swartz writes that the most formidable candidate in the race for Houston’s next mayor may be the outgoing chief himself; how to make sweet tea; Evan Smith sits down with C. Andrew Doyle, a new Episcopal bishop on politics, faith and Twitter; in Behind the Lines, Paul Burka wonders if the governor and his political allies are running the show at Texas A&M; and more
THIS ISSUE — ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (2009.07.24)
FEATURES:
— ‘IRON MAN 2’: THE NEXT WAVE (Josh Rottenberg): Iron Man blasted Robert Downey Jr. back to stardom. Now the superhero is battling Mickey Rourke, sizing up Scarlett Johansson, and hoping to prove the first time wasn’t a fluke.
— COMIC-CON PREVIEW 2009: Here’s a sneak peek at Alice in Wonderland, Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Sherlock Holmes, Jennifer’s Body, District 9, The CW’s Vampire Diaries, and other cool projects hitting the great geekfest this month.
— BLOOD GOOD SHOW (Alynda Wheat): Sex, violence, and some very hot vampires — no wonder True Blood is HBO’s most talked-about hit in years. Not bad for a show that once looked undead on arrival.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tops The Must List, which also inludes Dave Eggers’ new novel, an Eminem video and more; the first official shot of Jake Gyllenhaal in character for Prince of Persia; women directors are winning praise this season; Missy Schwartz wonders if Sacha Baron Cohen went too far; Ryan Reynolds signs on to play the Green Lantern; Ryan Seacrest signs a $45 million American Idol deal; Tim Stack grades Emma Watson’s looks; and more.
THIS ISSUE — THE ADVOCATE (2009.08)
Editor
FEATURES:
— WHAT GIVES IN WASHINGTON? (Michelangelo Signorile): Who’s dragging their feet on gay issues — Obama or D.C. gay activists?
— GAY JUSTiCE (Chris Bull): Will you ever see an openly gay Supreme Court justice?
— A (FEDERAL) CASE FOR MARRIAGE (Andrew Gumbel): Two legal heavyweights are betting the bank with their challenge to Proposition 8.
— PEREZ HILTON (Benoit Denizet-Lewis): Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Hilton has put marriage equality center stage.
— GOOD HEALTH AT EVERY AGE: How to be the best you can be, whether you’re 20 or 85.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Cleve Jones is planning an October 11 march on Washington; New York Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell has made marriage equality his personal mission; Dan Choi becomes an accidental activist; Pet Airways makes the skies friendlier for Fido; bok choy is the veggie of the moment; what you need to know if you’re a freelancer in today’s economy; why gay women enjoy sex more than straight women; adventure in Newcastle, England; Amsterdam: Europe’s gay-friendliest city; Ted Loos finds his inner cowboy on the back of a reluctant Montana ranch; Maya Rudolph on divas, drag queens and Donatella Versace; and more.
THIS ISSUE — NEWSWEEK (2009.07.27)
FEATURES:
— ‘THE CAUSE OF MY LIFE’ (Edward M. Kennedy): Inside my fight for universal health care.
— MY THREE SONS (Evan Thomas, Suzanne Smalley): North Korea’s first family.
— THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD MAN IN AMERICA (Michael Hirsh): Why Joseph Stiglitz gets no respect.
— DRUGS, MURDER, RACE & HARVARD (Evan Thomas, Suzanne Smalley): The curious case of Chanequa Campbell.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
In his letter from the editor, Jon Meacham writes that “[t]he complexity of [Ted] Kennedy’s legacy — the good and the bad, the political achievements and the personal disasters — makes him an accessible, human figure, and a strangely inspirational one;” Germany, Iran, China, Russia and Israel make the InternationaList; Ben Bradlee remembers Walter Cronkite; Fareed Zakaria remembers Rwanda, fifteen years later; Jacob Weisberg writes that “our [health care] system is innovative, expensive, litigious, and wasteful;” Fineman calls for an end to confirmation hearings; Will argues that taxing the rich will make the investor class anemic; Andrew Romano remembers the Polaroid; and more.
THIS ISSUE — GOOD (SUMMER 2009)
The water issue.
FEATURES:
— DRINKING: Whether it’s straight from the tap or shipped in a bottle, your water may contain a lot more than you want it to.
— ACCESS: More than a billion people lack access to safe, clean water, but it’s more than a third world problem.
— CONFLICT: Negotiations over water issues have historically brought nations together, but coming crises could change that.
— THE GOOD GUIDE TO REDUCING YOUR WATER USE: A guide to reducing your water footprint and saving money.
— EXPLORATION: Knowledge, progress, innovation, and change comes to those who seek it out — on the high seas, and beyond.
— OCEANS: Fish are on their way out, and plastic is on its way in. But there’s still hope.
THIS ISSUE — THE NEW YORKER (2009.07.20)
FEATURES:
— THE POLITICAL SCENE: ENTER LAUGHING (John Colapinto): Al Franken’s long road to Washington.
— SHOUTS & MURMURS: THE TEMPERATURE OF HELL: A COLLOQUIUM (Ian Frazier)
— LIFE AND LETTERS: FUN WITH NUNS (Paul Rudnick): Hollywood revisits the convent.
— PROFILES: SHERIFF JOE (William Finnegan): One-man law in Arizona.
— LETTER FROM CHINA: THE FORBIDDEN ZONE (Evan Osnos): How far can a journalist go?
— FICTION: “RAT BEACH” (William Styron)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Elizabeth Kolbert asks why Americans are fat; Anthony Lane reviews Bruno; John Lahr writes about Helen Mirren in Phedre; Hendrik Hertzberg on Sarah Palin; a Bronx Tree Museum; a herring feast; Nancy Franklin writes about the Michael Jackson memorial service; poems from Donald Hall and Meghan O’Rourke; and more.
THIS ISSUE — GQ (2009.08)
FEATURES:
— COVER: CHANNING TATUM WON THE LOTTERY (Lisa DePaulo): The G.I. Joe star (and a former face of Abercrombie) takes Lisa DePaulo to meet Aunt Dot and Uncle Bruce down on the ranch in Alabama.
— THE FREEWHEELING GUIDE TO REDISCOVERING EUROPE (NO BACKPACK REQUIRED): It’s time to hit the Continent again — with the spirit of your college backpacking days and a dose of grown-up savvy.
— SUMMER GIRL (Dan Fierman): Indie darling Zooey Deschanel just can’t stop breaking hearts.
— TRIUMPH OF HIS WILL (Alex Pappademas): Quentin Tarantino on his new Nazi flick, making bongs with Brad Pitt, obscure Bob Dylan tracks, and when he’ll hang up his spurs.
— BLOODY GOOD: GQ presents the finest bruised battered, and blood-soaked moments in cinema history.
— SEXTORTION AT EISENHOWER HIGH (Michael Joseph Gross): Bomb threats, armed guards, and a shocking sex scandal — just a typical day at a Wisconsin high school.
— NEVER FORGET (Michae Paterniti): The leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime — which murdered nearly 2 million Cambodians in the ’70s before falling from power — are finally being brought to justice. But burying the demons isn’t easy.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
GQ endorses the tweed jacket and other cheap Fall essentials; how to get fit like a big-wave rider; Summer’s ultimate sandwich; secrets of Mad Men revealed; Jack White and Jimmy Page in a new documentary; Adam Sachs explains the moment in a man’s life when (almost) no woman is off-limits Thomas Pynchon’s (relatively) short and awesome thriller; everything you need to know to get the perfect head of hair; Hunter Parrish sports college-inspired looks worth holding on to even after your beer-pong days are over; and more.
THIS ISSUE — WIRED (2009.08)
FEATURES:
— THE WIRED GUIDE TO PERSONAL SCENARIO PLANNING (Peter Schwartz): Tired of standing by while time and events hijack your life? Futurist Peter Schwartz reveals 5 easy steps for anticipating what’s next.
— KEYWORD: MONOPOLY (Fred Vogelstein): Is Google the next Microsoft? Inside the new antitrust war.
— SKY LAB (Noah Shachtman): The Air Force’s mysterious ionosphere-controlling facility.
— BEHAVE YOURSELF!: The new rules for highly evolved humans. Scientific approached to: Friending your ex; calling in sick; tweet limits and more!
— ASK A BASTERD (Brad Pitt): Is it OK to view porn at work? Hell, yes. Inglourious Basterd Brad Pitt serves up some really bad advice. (Read, but don’t follow.)
— SECOND LIFE (Erin Biba): Biologist Raul Cano tapped prehistoric fossils in search of a blockbuster drug. Instead, he made a truly delicious discovery.
— BOOTING UP BAGHDAD (Steven Levy): Can Silicon Valley save Iraq?
— SPEECHLESS (Brian Raftery): When a strange illness left Dilbert creator Scott Adams mute, the result was anything but comic.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Why getting laid off from a tech job may benefit you — and the industry; 10 worst evolutionary designs; What’s Inside Enfamil lipil infant formula; 3 Smart Things About referees; Clive Thompson writes that in an age of unlimited memory, the most important act is remembering not to remember; WIRED test’s the new Zune; Steven Levy says that even the supersize Kindle might not be big enough to save publishing; Imogen Heap’s third album is a crowd pleaser; the unofficial Thomas Pynchon guide to LA; the Sims ceator ditches EA to join the indie movement; and more.
THIS ISSUE — CHICAGO (2009.08)
FEATURES:
— BEST OF CHICAGO: Good: the well spoken of, the longtime favorites, the new and surprising. Better: the perfect extra fillip, the graceful technique, the revelatory debut. Best: See page 88.
— NUMBERS MAN (Ryan Blitstein): After three top city jobs, including a stint as the mayor’s chief of staff, Ron Huberman brings his technocratic skills to Chicago’s troubled public schools.
— THE JAY CUTLER PLAYBOOK (Bryan Smith): The new quarterback for the Bears has been hailed as a savior but also knocked for lacking maturity. We parse the hype — and the criticism.
— THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVELTY (Michael Lenehan): A Darien peddler of doodads with a knack for parlaying his Chinese connections into products just might be onto the Next Big Thing — in closets.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Readers respond to the Summer Fun issue; carpenter Joe Pug infuses folk music with new energy; national news outlets are picking Chicago to be a local media incubator; academics have always trumped athletics at Northwestern, but under the direction of Pat Fitzgerald, football has become no joke; Marcus Sakey, the reigning ‘prince’ of crime fiction returns; musicians pay homage to Jay Bennett, an ex-Wilco member; how social networking might land you a job; Jeff Ruby thinks that living in the city makes him a Chicagoan, but not everyone agrees; and more.
READING LIST — NEW YORK: IN DEFENSE OF NARCISSISM (EMILY NUSSBAUM, 2009.07.10)
Palin and the pseudoscience of diagnoses.
In the days following Sarah Palin’s resignation, nearly every pundit seized on one factoid, the juiciest tidbit from Todd Purdum’s takedown in Vanity Fair: his revelation that several sources told him they’d looked up the definition of narcissistic personality disorder and found that Palin fit the bill.
For Palin haters (and I’m no Palin fan), this was good stuff: See, the lady is crazy! And not like a fox, like Kim Jong Il. But as damning anecdotes go, this one felt limp. I mean, who doesn’t qualify for NPD these days? Bernie Madoff and Octomom have both been called on the carpet; ditto every politician from Dick Cheney to Bill Clinton. Heck, Palin’s own party once argued that Obama himself (who has, admittedly, written two memoirs) was just another big-headed starlet, Paris Hilton in bi-racial internationalist drag.
Call it narcissistic diagnosis disorder, a compulsion to dog-ear The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in search of scientific backup for what (back in high school) used to be known colloquially as “thinking you’re so great.” Although the American Psychiatric Association estimates that one percent of the population has NPD, other recent studies have put the figure as high as 10 percent, expanding the DSM’s pincers to include stars both reality and old school; anyone under 25; CEOs and Ponzi schemers; anyone who uses MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter—at times, it seems, anyone who speaks in the first person at all.
Now, I’m not denying that clinical narcissists exist. But perhaps it’s time to call a moratorium on casual use of the phrase, which has become nothing more than a fancy way to diagnose people we don’t like, a long tradition in America. There was borderline-personality disorder in the nineties, applicable to all crazy ex-girlfriends; repression in the seventies, good for anyone who wouldn’t sleep with you; not to mention frigidity in the fifties, the handy label for all women unhappy with marriage or babies. These are moral judgments cloaked in a white lab coat.
[COMPLETE STORY]
