Fun of It: Stories from the New Yorker's "The Talk of the Town"

by Lillian Ross (Editor)

William Shawn once called The Talk of the Town the soul of the magazine. The section began in the first issue, in 1925. But it wasn't until a couple of years later, when E. B. White and James Thurber arrived, that the Talk of the Town story became what it is today: a precise piece of journalism that always gets the story and has a little fun along the way.

The Fun of It is the first anthology of Talk pieces that spans the magazine's life. Edited by Lillian Ross, the longtime Talk reporter and New Yorker staff writer, the book brings together pieces by the section's most original writers. Only in a collection of Talk stories will you find E. B. White visiting a potter's field; James Thurber following Gertrude Stein at Brentano's; Geoffrey Hellman with Cole Porter at the Waldorf Towers; A. J. Liebling on a book tour with Albert Camus; Maeve Brennan ventriloquizing the long-winded lady; John Updike navigating the passageways of midtown; Calvin Trillin marching on Washington in 1963; Jacqueline Onassis chatting with Cornell Capa; Ian Frazier at the Monster Truck and Mud Bog Fall Nationals; John McPhee in virgin forest; Mark Singer with sixth-graders adopting Hudson River striped bass; Adam Gopnik in Flatbush visiting the ìgrandest theatre devoted exclusively to the movies; Hendrik Hertzberg pinning down a Sulzberger on how the Times got colorized; George Plimpton on the tennis court with Boris Yeltsin; and Lillian Ross reporting good little stories for more than forty-five years. They and dozens of other Talk contributors provide an entertaining tour of the most famous section of the most famous magazine in the world.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Humor, New York

Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

Lillian Ross was an American journalist and author, who was a staff writer at The New Yorker from 1945 until she retired.

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the great thing about the New Yorker: its writing style has always been the same and will always be the same - they still spell it "cöoperative", for gosh sakes. Most of the short essays in here, if not for the topical matter (stars of stage and screen of the 1930s, etc.), could very well feel at home in the pages of this week's issue. In a world where that venerable Grey Lady, the New York Times, is downsizing like a teen pop sensation turned drugged-out party girl, it's nice to know that NYC still has a perfectly respectable, and fun, publication.

[Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of short pieces from The New Yorker. There's a few good pieces here, like AJ Liebling hanging with Camus, John Updike hiking through New York, John McPhee in a virgin forest, David Remnick on the Mets/Yankees World Series, but mostly they're more fun than memorable. Those looking for anything in-depth won't see much here. It's a nice book to pick up and go through a story or two at a time.

[Paul O'Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories from the New Yorker is very enjoyable and students of culture would probably find it useful as a survey of eclectic snapshots of people and events in New York and beyond in the 20th century. Not every selection stands the test of time, but I think every reader can find something worthwhile here. Recommended.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually didn't finish the whole book. I started skimming once I reached articles from the 1960s, and then stopped completely once I got to the articles for the 1990s. Some real gems in there, but it's not the sort of book you should try to just read straight through. A good coffee table book, I'd say.

[Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any collection will have good bad great ok and some amazing essays. This covers all grounds as it should. Yet it includes essays from the 1920s up to 2000. Any unexpected details you could ever imagine about the events of each era pop up to thrill. In short, if you are a fan of pop history, you too will love this. It’s a great travel book (or bathroom reader) as the essays are all short. Enjoy.

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the New Yorker. And I adore this collection of pieces, especially since it includes some of my favourite authors.

[E Jeanne Harnois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken together, these essays are a unique history of New York.

[Dan Lalande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost one hundred years' worth of Talk of the Town columns, The New Yorker's mainstay of societal scuttlebutt. As a collection (compiled by long-time Towner Lillian Ross), it's 20th-century history as a quirky, colorful sideshow, presented with the ironic distance that has always marked the magazine. As for the quality of the writing, here's a cursory list of those who, over the years, walked that entry-level beat: James Thurber, E.B. White, the aforementioned Ross, John Updike, Garrison Keillor, Susan Orlean, and Adam Gopnik.

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The column has going strong for over a 100 years; its observations about New York City - written by superbly talented writers, exploring art, music, celebrity, movies, everyday life and more - are a unique way to experience the world's greatest city.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pillars of Power - control information

Been on the receiving end of that one..........

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection from the archives means the hindsight here is beyond twenty-twenty, but it was really fun to read about Diego Rivera installing his murals at MoMA in the 1930s, then to go see them on display in 2012, or to walk the streets Updike did during his famous midtown through-the-middle-of-the-block stroll.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As if I didn't love the New Yorker enough, I now even love the Talk of the Town column, which I used to skip over. I don't know why. I guess becase they're so short. But these columns illustrate how much you can do with 1,000 words or less...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is the tits. Check it out and be glad you did. But please wait until my friend Kay finishes reading it. She has it checked out from the library.

[Amy]

I'm teaching this.

[patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read -- especially the bits from the 1930's-1950's.

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gem after sparkling gem....a wonderful anthology of short "Talk of the Town" pieces from the The New Yorker of Ross, Shawn, and onward. All the greats put their hand in....

[Sharen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is fun! Not only is the writing above par, the essays give us a glimpse into life throughout the twentieth century. Changes in vocabulary are evident, which makes for interesting reading from the point of view of history and sociology.