September 6
2006
As you may recall, Germaine Greer went after Monica Ali over Brick Lane a couple of months ago, sparking a response from Salman Rushdie that resulted in a bit of a battle between the two. It was weirdness - why Greer was getting involved in what became a nonevent in the first place is bizarre, but it pales in comparison to what she wrote this week about Steve Irwin.
I have already written about what Irwin meant to my son and my family. Call us sentimental or silly but he was a very big deal around here. More than anyone or anything he is the reason that my son is so wild about animals and we encourage this behavior a great deal - if the little guy wants to bring frogs and snakes into the house we are fine with it. I would love to have him grow up to be like the Crocodile Hunter - it means become an animal conservationist of the first order and changing the world for the better. Who would want anything more than that?
But whether or not you watched his show or cared in anyway about the guy, why on earth would you write something so horrible about someone who has just died a sudden and untimely death? His family and friends are obviously grieving a great deal and so are a ton of other people. Why be so insensitive?
I've gotta tell ya - I think Greer is going batty. (Maybe she should start hanging out with Harlan Ellison.) I'd love to know why The Guardian keeps printing her crap as well. Is it all just about sensationalism now?
In other news, the new issue of Zoetrope is not up online yet but it was designed by Chip Kidd and includes photos from Thomas Allen, whose work I adore. (Talk about eye candy for book lovers!) This is the "food and wine, art & adventure" issue with everyone from Ha Jin to Alice Waters included. It looks fabulous - check it out.
Over the weekend I read a bit of the NYTimes online and found Thomas Mallon in the City Section. He was one of my favorite contributors to the American Scholar back when it was Anne Fadiman's journal (a fiction issue this summer - why why why?) and Mallon wrote some lovely essays for it. His book Two Moons is a particular favorite. Anyway, he writes about his first apartment in the city and it's vintage Mallon. A nice little essay that tells a lovely story - the sort of thing to put a sentimental smile on anyone' face.
