Leslie Brody's Blog

The Harkin Report condemning costs and practices of most for-profit colleges reveals they're not a whole lot different from "The Famous Writer's School, which Decca lampooned in her piece in The Atlantic Magazine (July 1970) “Let Us Now Appraise Famous Writers" (SUCH a great title!) The FWS was a mail order swindle which promised a rewarding career to the well-trained scribe. Decca called the school “a terrific fraud” perpetuated on the vulnerable and gullible, and “a debasement of all things educational.” She called her finished article, “one of the clear-cut successes however temporary in my muckraking career.”
Here's Decca's article
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1970/07/let-us-now-appraise-famous-writers/5319/

and the NYT's article on The Harkin Report (another good title)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/education/harkin-report-condemns-for-profit-colleges.html

From "The Golden Age is In Is" by Alex Cockburn

"If men have always been concerned with only one task—how to create a society fit to live in—the forces which inspired our distant ancestors are also present in us. Nothing is settled; everything can still be altered. What was done but turned out wrong, can be done again. The Golden Age, which blind superstition had placed behind [or ahead of] us, is in us."

Photo of Alex and Jasper by Tao Ruspoli

http://www.thenation.com/blog/168996/alexander-cockburn-and-radical-power-word#

Lat year on my book tour, someone asked me to list my top 20 books. Here they are, in in no particular order. This list's too short, I left a million books out. Funny thing, I think I'd like to read them all over.

Bleak House—Charles DickensPride and Prejudice—Jane AustenThe Barset Chronicles—Anthony TrollopeDaisy Bates in the Desert-Julia BlackburnSnow Country-Yasunari KawabataThings Fall Apart –Chinua AchebeFootsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer- Richard HolmesSlouching Toward Bethlahem and The White Album—Joan DidionBrown girl, Brownstones-Paule Marshall Midnight’s Children-Salmon RushdieA Room of One’s Own and Mrs. Dalloway-- Virginia WoolfConfessions of a Confidence Man—Thomas MannHowl ---- Alan GinsbergDeath of the Heart-- Elizabeth BowenIf This is a Man and The Reawakening-- Primo LeviCollected Poems-- W.B. YeatsThe Transit of Venus-- Shirley HazardThe Vagabond--ColletteGaudy Night-- Dorothy Sayers—A Testament of Youth-- Vera BrittainLet Us Now Praise Famous Men --James Agee and Walker Evans Son of the Morning Star—Evan ConnellPortrait of a Lady-- Henry JamesThe Custom of the Country-- Edith WhartonThree Plays: Juno and the Paycock, The Shadow of a Gunman, The Plow and the Stars --Sean O’CaseyHiroshima- John Hersey --Armies of the Night --Norman MailerThe Great Gatsby and The Crack Up -- F. Scott Fitzgerald—Pursuit of Love and Don’t Tell Alfred-- Nancy Mitford—Hons and Rebels and The American Way of Death-- Jessica Mitford—The Daredevils--Gary AmdahlThe Wide Sargasso Sea-Jean RhysThe Diaries of Anais Nin- Anais Nin-The Golden Notebook and The Grass is Singing--Doris LessingAlice in Wonderland --Lewis CarrollMiddlemarch- George Eliot-ScoundralTime and Pentimento-Lillian HellmanGuns of August-Barbara TuchmanThe Once and Future King--T.H. WhiteWar and Peace-Leo TolstoyTime of the Toad-Dalton Trumbo

DEAR READER,

In 1843, the original Miss Leslie's Magazine featuring fiction, poetry, essays and commentary on style and fashion debuted.  I've always been drawn to the name and recently decided to re-start the old thing, on my blog.

I know so many fine writers who should be read and so many readers who are looking for great things to read. I'll probably be a very disorganized editor, and it's unlikely we'll have much of a subscription base, but it will be interesting, unbeholden and free. Look for our first installment in the fall.

Meanwhile, write to me.

Love, Leslie

Is it too soon for a Decca revival? Oline Eaton has posted our interview on her site New Books In Biography. To my ears I'm a bit long winded but Oline is terrific through-out..
http://newbooksinbiography.com/2012/04/16/leslie-brody-irrepressible-the-life-and-times-of-jessica-mitford-counterpoint-press-2010

“THE PEOPLE IN POWER ARE NOTHING TO FEAR: JESSICA MITFORD AND THE PUBLIC GOOD.”
After a bit of a break I’m giving a talk about DECCA 4pm on April 24th at the University of Santa Barbara. The subject is part of a year-long series addressing the theme “The Public Good.” ( a phrase bandied about for good and ill—don’t you think?)
 http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/peopleinpower/Thanks to Cole Cohen, for helping to set this up!

Gary gives an interview.  SUI GENERIS!!!
http://bigother.com/2012/04/11/down-with-amdahl/

Over the past year, I've read from Irrepressible in many places, among them Los Angeles Berkeley, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, New York and Washington D.C. (and Redlands!) Thanks for turning out, for reading my book (sometimes even reviewing it), and for your friendship. I've started writing a new book. Which for now I've titled   Is that Legal? A Novel of the Twentieth Century. I'll keep you posted! 

Exciting evening at the Busboys and Poets Bookstore in Washington D.C. Everything/everyone came together/ Dinky and Ben joined me to read and sign and answer questions. Also on hand was the fabulous Regina White, editor, researcher and essential member of the People's Book Committee as well as Debbie and John Hanrahan, presiding angels and Jack Hayes. Here are a few photos of the occasion.  

While in Miami I was also on TV for the FIRST time. I know, I know. How have I reached this grand old age without some prior experience on television? Wasn't I even filmed in the audience at a children's show, like so many of my friends? No, sorry. Once the gig was booked, I realized I had no idea how to behave, what to say or what to wear! Thanks to Karen Derris, Judy Tschann, Redlands friends and Lisa Gottlieb (my hostess in Miami); I managed to dress myself adequately. My TV interviewer was Peter Slen. Before we began I asked him how many interviews he had conducted and he said "thousands." I asked him how many suits he owned and he said "Fifteen." Once the interview began I didn't even have the time to look down at my notes. I forgot a few things and made up a few things, but managed to keep going even when I wasn't exactly sure which camera to appeal to! Slen was reasonable and kept showing the book cover. There was just the mildest bit of red-baiting and a funny question or two (Was Jessica Mitford a spy?), but it was all very casual and courteous. I did my best to just keep going. We were outside under a tent, and if you watch the video you can see the book fair crowds (Slen called them "America") passing by. He also pointed out that when I looked at one particular camera, that too was "America," and I couldn't help but think how Whitmanesque, it contained multitudes.  When it was finally over (45 minutes!) my Aunt Caroline assured me that I hadn't made a complete ass of myself and I received a text from Ben Treuhaft, saying that he and Dinky had watched and thought it "C-Spantastic."  Did I mention that I received a souvenir cup!




http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/302678-4