Book Notes: Periodicals

There's an entertaining story by Benjamin Slip called "Happy?" in the December issue of Esquire magazine. A young man inexplicably contemeplates his level of happiness after sleeping with his girlfriend's best friend.

I also enjoyed the memoirs, "War Wounds" by Tom Bissell and "Speak, Hoyt-Schermerhorn" by Jonathan Lethem in the December issue of Harper's. The first is a memoir about coming to terms with his father who had fought in the Vietnam War by visiting Vietnam together. The second is an assortment of memories associated with a train stop in Brooklyn by an author.

I've recently foudn a couple of really great magazines. Wallpaper, a life-style magazine, and its spawn the biannual Wallpaper Navigator (issue #2 has guides to Tokyo, Sydney, San Francisco, Mumbai, Milan, Mexico City, Madrid, Ljubljana, Istandbul, Antwerp). I like the fact that it is design oriented and there is a large focus on architecture.

I also found a Japanese culture magazine called Kateigaho International, which is in English and has several features on Japanes food, culture, travel, etc...The 2005 winter issue has features on sake and architect Yoshio Taniguchi among other informative features, like a profile of the toy store Kiddyland in Harajuku.

I also recently picked up Timothy McSweeney's literary magazine, the Early Fall issue #14. Some of the pieces are hit-and-miss, but I particulary liked "Executors of Important Energies" by Wells Towers-which answers the question of whether or fiction can be hilarious and heartbreaking. I also quite liked a sprawling New Yorker-like piece about Great Gerbils called "Rodent Disaster in Xinjiang" by Joshua Bearman. There's always something worthwhile in McSweeney's.

Comments

[Ozzy Osmond]

Pat, I envy the time you have for pleasure reading. I think I've started to read vicariously through you.

[MC]

Commuting by train helps. Not having cable also helps.

[phatrick]

Unfortunately I speak from experience when I tell you that having cable overpowers even not having a job. I can't speak to commuting by train. I'm not getting much reading done.