Category Archives: Culture

Michael Wolff’s speech

Professional media gadfly Michael Wolff delivered the opening keynote address at the 2005 SIIA Information Industry Summit in New York at the beginning of February. Hundreds of digital content professionals heard his speech; it caused a bit of a stir … Continue reading

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Has Gawker jumped the shark?

Gawker jumped the shark today. I don’t think it’s the fault of its two new editors, Matt Haber and Jessica Coen, both of whom are talented and funny writers. Nor do I blame Lockhart Steele, the new editorial director. No: … Continue reading

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The Gates

Anyone who has moved from Europe to New York knows that one of the most dazzling things about this city, quite literally, is the winter sun. We Europeans are used to drab, gray winters, where the few hours of purported … Continue reading

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Apples

If there’s one overriding reason why Steve Jobs has been a huge success at Apple, it’s that he has managed to demolish the old truism that Apple =Mac. Nowadays, in the eyes of the general public, Apple is much more … Continue reading

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Hirst’s shark

The Shark is coming to New York. According to the Telegraph and the Evening Standard, Larry Gagosian has finally succeeded in brokering the deal we first heard about back in December. Charles Saatchi will sell The Physical Impossibility of Death … Continue reading

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Modern art notes

Thank you, Greg, for the MoMA passes you sent me. I initially intended to give them to recent immigrants who know nothing of modern art, and in fact I will do that eventually. But an opportunity came up, so last … Continue reading

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142 Henry

With some fanfare, The Garfield Building – otherwise known as 142 Henry Street, on the lower Lower East Side – had its first open house this afternoon. I’d been keeping an eye on it for some time, since it’s a … Continue reading

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Rhetoric corner: Tavis Smiley on Nas

From preachers in Birmingham to rap stars in the Bronx, it has long been the case that many of America’s greatest rhetoricians have been black. In the Democratic primaries, the manner in which Al Sharpton effortlessly showed up his opponents … Continue reading

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Richter at Dia

I went back to Dia:Beacon on Sunday, one of those wonderfully clear and bright winter days which New York seems to specialise in. The light was streaming through the huge windows, and the John Chamberlain sculptures literally glowed. All great … Continue reading

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MoMA’s $20 admission

Greg Allen has thrown down the gauntlet. Give him a "well-argued explanation of the damage incurred by $20 tickets and what MoMA could/should realistically do to remedy it," he says, and he’ll give you a pair of free passes to … Continue reading

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