Rating: 
Summary: Great History And Principle Profiles
Review: "About Town", by Ben Yagoda chronicles the majority of the 80+ years, "The New Yorker", has been contributing its unique journalistic culture to everyone, including, "The old lady in Debuque". Mr. Yagoda's book stands out from many books that have been offered to readers about the magazine for while he certainly is aware of the contributions the magazine has made for over 8 decades; he does not seem to be in awe of it or the people to the point it affects his writing. He clearly admires the magazine, but this does not stop his including a wealth of information that documents the eccentric personalities that shaped the magazine. Some may not find the notes flattering, but he objectively shows some of the magazines famous quirks without committing the blasphemy of a young Thomas Wolfe.The list of writers who either became major or occasional contributors, reads like an amalgam of winners of the highest literary awards that have been offered. The list of those names repeatedly rejected expands the list even further. The book contains dozens of examples of the famous rejection letters that often are almost apologetic about turning down a piece of work while always writing in the first person plural. Having a piece selected by, "The New Yorker", was often considered the ultimate indicator that a new writer had arrived, that he or she had entered the pantheon of the magazine's literary legends. This was true even if the work accepted for publication may not have appeared for months, or even several years. The reception of the envelope stating a writer's work had been admitted was all many authors needed to have their work given unique value and cachet, publication was a bonus. Mr. Yagoda also spends a good amount of his book on the cartoons, their artists, and the painful process that started with an idea only to have to run a gauntlet to be published. As hard as this path may have been, the scrutinizing that a written piece received is almost beyond imagining. It is understandable that first time contributors would have their worked scoured and polished, but when some of the 20th Century's finest writers nearly drew blood over commas the action within the building must have been spectacular. There is a story of one writer who sat outside the editor's office for almost 5 hours over the issue of a single comma. This World War I trench warfare standoff continued until the early hours of the next morning. The editor capitulated, but noted to the writer, "you are still wrong". The story of this fascinating magazine could fill many volumes. If your starting place for gathering an overview of this institution, its editors, staff and writers, is this book, you will have chosen very well. Mr. Yagoda has written a great tribute to those he has chronicled.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Biography of a Great Magazine
Review: Ben Yagoda has written nearly 500 pages, and when you're finished, you'll wish he'd written 500 more. This is the wise, bright and definitive biography that "the world's greatest magazine" deserves. The giants walk through these pages -- Harold Ross, Thurber, Joe Mitchell, A. J. Liebling, Lillian Ross, William Shawn, William Maxwell, Pauline Kael, Wolcott Gibbs, Joe Heller, Raymond Carver, St. Clair McKelway, Genet, Mencken, Audax Minor, Gilbert Rogin, Mary McCarthy, Updike, O'Hara, Capote, Nabokov, Salinger, Behrman et al -- a pantheon of idiosyncratic, brilliant and powerful writers, perhaps the best we'll ever see under a single masthead. Books about The New Yorker would occupy a library shelf. "About Town" deserves the place of honor.
Rating:
Summary: Encore!
Review: Disclaimer: I love The New Yorker. I have been a dedicated subscriber for ten years (and I am only twenty-six), and I read the magazine for years before subscribing under my own name. Given my disclaimer, perhaps my five-star rating is self-evident. But not necessarily: As a lover of the magazine, I approached this text skeptically. I was interested in an unbiased review, yes, but likely I would have been wounded by a wholeheartedly negative portrayal. Yagoda loves TNY even more than I do, if that's possible, yet he truthfully approaches his biography of the magazine. The ugliest facts are laid bare, but in a sympathetic whole. TNY writers, editors, and staff members are lovingly recreated; Yagoda writes so well that I felt I knew these people, I understood these people, and I physically missed them after turning the last page. Like others who have reviewed this book, I wanted more--more, more, more. I felt astonished and sad to have finished the book. Were it a novel, I'd beg for a sequel, even knowing that sequels rarely live up to the original. Even a second-best second-tome would be better than missing the people and the institution that this book brings to life. Admittedly, TNY readers will love this book vastly more than those unacquainted with its pages. However, if you are even beginning to approach the magazine, you must read this book. You will understand the weekly journal better than you do now, and you will appreciate it far more. I certainly do. Bravo, Yagoda!
Rating:
Summary: Giving Good Weight
Review: I agree with Jack Olsen, who felt this lengthy book wasn't long enough. I spent several nights reading much later into the night than I should have -- and paid for it the following mornings -- but I was extremely sorry when I finished "About Town." Reviewers such as John Leonard in the New York Times Book Review have rightfully lauded Mr.Yagoda for his extensive research in The New Yorker archives. Equally impressive, though, is the acute critical judgement Yagoda brings to bear on the non-fiction, short stories, poems and cartoons that have defined the magazine -- either by their inclusion or exclusion. In meshing the archival letters and notes between writers and editors with his own hard-won views of the magazine's contents and the artists who created them, Yagoda in effect has created and orchestrated a book-length conversation and meditation on good writing. "About Town" is so well written, and so rich in anecdote, telling detail and, with a nod toward New Yorker editor/founder Harold Ross, the beauty of fact, that if it weren't ABOUT The New Yorker I suspect that it would have been accepted for excerpting by the magazine's long-gone original regime. For those like me who finish the book wanting more, the only solace is that, in a sense, you can continue the converation about good writing with Yagoda by revisiting the works and authors he dissects. I'm looking forward, for instance, to rooting out Peter Taylor's early stories -- I'm familiar with his classic later works -- checking out writers with whom I am unfamiliar, such as Irwin Shaw, and to re-reading some Cheever to follow the evolution outlined by Yagoda.In this continuing quest, good places to start are the collections of short stories ("Wonderful Town") and profiles ("Life Stories") edited by current New Yorker editor David Remnick. Also, check out "The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism" co-edited by Yagoda which includes selections from many New Yorker stalwarts. Years ago one of the magazine's former stalwarts, John McPhee, wrote an article about the farmers' markets in New York City, where customers could be assured of getting their money's worth -- and then some -- from the rural formers who manned the stands. He titled it, and a subsequent collection, "Giving Good Weight." In "About Town," Ben Yagoda gives good weight.
Rating:
Summary: Let Me Count The Ways---
Review: I have had an ongoing love affair with The New Yorker since I was ten years old. First I read just the cartoons, then the reviews, and finally an obsession with the entire magazine. Ben Yagoda is the first account I have read that does not have a personal agenda or bias. His research is meticulous and presented in such a lively manner that the reader never feels bombarded with dry facts and statistics. He brings to center stage a fabulous cast: from founder, Harold Ross, A. J. Liebling, E. B. White, James Thurber, Lillian Ross, John Cheever, Ernest Hemingway, J. D. Salinger, John Updike to the last "real" New Yorker editor-William Shawn. Mr. Yagoda's talent brings them to life, sets them in the context of The New Yorker, and they greet you from around every corner. Mr. Yagoda lets us see why and how The New Yorker wielded such a remarkable influence in its heyday from the `30's through the early `60's. The standards set for fact checking, daring fiction, and in-depth "fact" pieces were hard to emulate. I well remember entire issues set aside for arcane subjects. I always gave the prize to Ved Mehta for writing excruciatingly long articles about subjects of which I had absolutely no interest. Yet I eagerly awaited Mehta's biographical sketches. That was part of The New Yorker's charm; they gave their writers the freedom to try different venues. The magazine was famous (or infamous) for their ruthless editing. One of my favorite quoted memos was from Vladimar Nabokov who wasn't so much outraged that The New Yorker had tinkered with his text, but amazed. "Never in my life has such a thing happened." said the bewildered Mr. Nabokov. "About Town" is a fascinating read that can also be used for a reference book. It is scrupulously indexed and cross-referenced. This is the definitive biography of The New Yorker. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Let Me Count The Ways---
Review: I have had an ongoing love affair with The New Yorker since I was ten years old. First I read just the cartoons, then the reviews, and finally an obsession with the entire magazine. Ben Yagoda is the first account I have read that does not have a personal agenda or bias. His research is meticulous and presented in such a lively manner that the reader never feels bombarded with dry facts and statistics. He brings to center stage a fabulous cast: from founder, Harold Ross, A. J. Liebling, E. B. White, James Thurber, Lillian Ross, John Cheever, Ernest Hemingway, J. D. Salinger, John Updike to the last "real" New Yorker editor-William Shawn. Mr. Yagoda's talent brings them to life, sets them in the context of The New Yorker, and they greet you from around every corner. Mr. Yagoda lets us see why and how The New Yorker wielded such a remarkable influence in its heyday from the '30's through the early '60's. The standards set for fact checking, daring fiction, and in-depth "fact" pieces were hard to emulate. I well remember entire issues set aside for arcane subjects. I always gave the prize to Ved Mehta for writing excruciatingly long articles about subjects of which I had absolutely no interest. Yet I eagerly awaited Mehta's biographical sketches. That was part of The New Yorker's charm; they gave their writers the freedom to try different venues. The magazine was famous (or infamous) for their ruthless editing. One of my favorite quoted memos was from Vladimar Nabokov who wasn't so much outraged that The New Yorker had tinkered with his text, but amazed. "Never in my life has such a thing happened." said the bewildered Mr. Nabokov. "About Town" is a fascinating read that can also be used for a reference book. It is scrupulously indexed and cross-referenced. This is the definitive biography of The New Yorker. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: About a way of life...
Review: I have only started reading this, but so far it is a great account of the history of a magazine that for many people was more than just a weekly habit. It was in many ways a way of life, a manual that defined style and taste, and brought it to people all over the country that were not lucky enough to live in the New York area. I had links to the East coast (through relatives), and I lived in NY vicariously through them and the Times. But it was the New Yorker that really updated what was going on in the capital of the world, and what its people were thinking. There were some rommates at college from remote towns in the upper midwest and great plains who did not appreciate the humor in the covers or drawings, but then, they did not have the link to the magazine and East Coast life since childhood. Many around me read Sports Illustrated and Newsweek. A few read The Atlantic Monthly and Harper's. But hardly anyone I knew read the New Yorker. Whenever I met such a person, there was a strange bonding between us, because we both knew. There was nothing else that needed to be said. Many of the letters described at the beginning of About Town tell of such experiences that all faithful New Yorker readers have had. This book deals with the magazine itself and its overall meaning to people more than with controversy and scandal. Put it on your coffee table, and when you have guests over, see who picks it up appreciatively. Then you will both probably exchange a smile, because you have found someone else who just KNOWS the New Yorker.
Rating: 
Summary: You'll learn a lot
Review: I read the book mostly to read about my favorite writers (Pauline Kael, Joseph Mitchell, Lillian Ross) and their experiences at the New Yorker. I wasn't disappointed. But the book also introduced to A.J. Liebling and John Hersey and host of other fine writers that I hadn't a clue about. On top of that, it's just a doggone fine history of the greatest literary magazine in U.S. history. Hats off to Ben Yagoda for another fine work
Rating:
Summary: You'll learn a lot
Review: I read the book mostly to read about my favorite writers (Pauline Kael, Joseph Mitchell, Lillian Ross) and their experiences at the New Yorker. I wasn't disappointed. But the book also introduced to A.J. Liebling and John Hersey and host of other fine writers that I hadn't a clue about. On top of that, it's just a doggone fine history of the greatest literary magazine in U.S. history. Hats off to Ben Yagoda for another fine work
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Visual Links to Great Topic
Review: I've just gotten this book, and bought it on the spot after I noticed various visual references to "The New Yorker" publishing and editorial history, e.g., notes, cartoons, charts, photos. These accents are very appropriate to the personifying subject matter. However, even without enhancements, the book seems graced by lively writing lifted by great anecdotes about a matchless roster of writers, editors, cartoonists and topics.
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