Personalities

Personagem: Talking With Arto Lindsay

After 30 years of making some of the Western Hemisphere’s most adventurous music, you’d think a guy could take some time off. Patrick Ambrose talks with the ex-DNA leader about art, music, and the origins of his unique guitar style. (Personalities | June 9, 2005)

The GTA Crunk: Props from a Self-Skooled Rapologist

You should not hate the player; however, you should hate the game. Pasha Malla infiltrates the centre of underground hip-hop culture that is Toronto, ON, and returns with stories of being skooled and seeing bling. Def! (Personalities | June 7, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Kevin Guilfoile

Do genre writers have more fun than plain old novelists? Is it possible to embed philosophical thought in a thriller? For an all-around TMN smorgasbord, our brain in Boston ROBERT BIRNBAUM chats with Contributing Writer Kevin Guilfoile about his new novel. (Personalities | May 24, 2005)

Letters From Rome: Sardegna

The first month of living abroad in one of the world’s great historical cities is full of sights and wonders. The eighth month is full of grocery shopping and car alarms. Author ANTHONY DOERR reports on a trip out of town to Sardinia. (Personalities | May 18, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Deborah Lipstadt

Prejudice cannot be defeated entirely, but it can be fought with courage and stamina, and with really good lawyers. Our bookish reporter in Boston ROBERT BIRNBAUM has a fascinating conversation with scholar Deborah Lipstadt about her six-year battle with Holocaust denier David Irving. (Personalities | May 4, 2005)

Hero of the Year

Reality television has been popular for a lot longer than you might think, and it’s only going to get bigger. Once we get rid of the news networks and install an awards show, that is. Matthew Baldwin broadcasts a signal from the Wellys. (Personalities | April 26, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Jonathan Safran Foer

Are we comforted by the official account of Sept. 11—the victims, the heroes, the assigned roles of good and evil—or do the generalizations shortchange our experiences? Robert Birnbaum talks to novelist Jonathan Safran Foer about his new book, the writing life, and what it’s like to be reviewed by Updike. (Personalities | April 19, 2005)

Fame!

It’s one thing to be Mario Lopez and have a single claim to the history books, but it’s quite another to distinguish your celebrity with a striking, but unrecognized achievement. Clay Risen takes a look at three famous men, not necessarily known for inventing chewing gum or cornering the pencil market. (Personalities | April 11, 2005)

Letters from Egypt: Tourist Travails

Living abroad means you’re not quite a tourist—you have an address, after all—but you’re certainly not a local. What are you? Amira Pierce reports from several recent trips around Egypt, trailed by scantily clad visitors. (Personalities | April 7, 2005)

Letters from Rome: Mourning

Thousands have traveled to Rome to observe the passing of the pope, and the streets are clogged with nuns and reporters. Meanwhile, the weather is beautiful and the persimmons are just starting. Author ANTHONY DOERR files a wonderful report about a sad weekend in Rome. (Personalities | April 4, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Tom Bissell

Writers often imagine editors as dolts with hearts of coal and brains of corn; writers, frequently, are self-absorbed paranoid ignorant dilletantes. Our man from the northern lands Robert Birnbaum sits down with writer Tom Bissell to talk about his stories, how the publishing system really works, and the life of a Celtics fan who only loves Bird. (Personalities | March 31, 2005)

Roundtable: The French Paradox

The French diet is back in the news—how do French women manage to enjoy chocolate, wine, cheese and bread without gaining weight? Food writer JOSH FRIEDLAND enlists several top French food bloggers for a rollicking conversation on the phenomenon. (Personalities | March 28, 2005)

Roundtable: Street Art

It’s art, it’s play, it’s political protest—no matter what it’s called, street art is all around us, changing the face of our cities when no one’s looking. So what is it exactly? Pitchaya Sudbanthad rounds up some of the legends of the scene to talk about the history of street art, and where it’s headed next. (Personalities | March 23, 2005)

Birnbaum v. David Thomson

Lots of folks complain that the movies aren’t what they used to be, but not many people can tell you why. Our man of the north Robert Birnbaum has a fascinating talk with film critic and writer David Thomson about the start of the art, Million Dollar Baby, and how Nicole Kidman went from bimbo to genius. (Personalities | March 15, 2005)

That’s My Vader…

Some days you’ve got it, other days you don’t. And some days, you’re the dark lord of the Sith. Rob Eccles knows what it would be like if Darth Vader spent a day in his shoes, speaking only in memorable quotes from the original Star Wars. (Personalities | March 14, 2005)

Craigslist in Baghdad: Missed Connections

Some people are there to sell a cheap computer. Others to divulge a personal rant, but let’s face it: Most people go to Craigslist for the missed connections. Jamie Allen reports from the boards of love in the Baghdad branch. (Personalities | March 4, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Robert McCrum

Few writers have all their books in print; extremely few have almost a hundred in circulation. Robert Birnbaum chats with Robert McCrum about his recent definitive biography of P.G. Wodehouse and the difficulties in pinning down a man who liked to blend in. (Personalities | March 1, 2005)

Rum Diary

Watching Hunter Thompson watch himself on Charlie Rose, when neither Thompson is comprehensible, can be difficult to follow. Paris Review senior editor Oliver Broudy offers a memorial, remembering a party when Thompson held court. (Personalities | February 24, 2005)

Memento Mori

Who was Hunter S. Thompson? To everyone who followed him, he was somebody different. Tobias Seamon remembers his reading life with the Good Doctor. (Personalities | February 23, 2005)

Letters From Rome: Fighting Smog

These are tough days for Rome, with many worried for the Pope’s health. Feeling equally worried for his own and his family’s, newcomer and author ANTHONY DOERR reports on days of tiny miracles, crossbow makers, and a lack of Ziploc bags. (Personalities | February 22, 2005)

The Fairly Mediocre Satan

You have a ouija board buried in the closet and you’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby, like, a hundred times. But do you really believe in the power of a ritual? Jay Allen didn’t either, as he remembers from a night of dabbling in the dark arts with a friend. (Personalities | February 17, 2005)

Here’s the Pitch

Space: the final frontier…of delicious cooking! Mike Baker and Pasha Malla have an exciting new idea for a cookbook that has “out of this world” recipes that are “universally appealing.” Get ready, because it’s T-minus 10 to tasty! (Personalities | February 8, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Joyce Carol Oates

What would a 1950s family near Niagra Falls say about an episode of the Sopranos? Why does America so easily forget its ordinary heroes? The prolific ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks with the prolific Joyce Carol Oates about her most recent novel, why she loves to teach, and how many other books are gestating in her desk. (Personalities | February 3, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Louis de Bernières

Our man in Boston Robert Birnbaum talks to author Louis de Bernières about his most recent book, Birds Without Wings, during a fascinating discussion about the Ottoman Empire, how good people go astray in crowds, and the richness of Arab proverbs. (Personalities | January 24, 2005)

Birnbaum v. T.C. Boyle

If we spend so much of our lives thinking and worrying about sex, is it any surprise the involved emotions are tied to chemicals? Robert Birnbaum talks to maverick author T.C. Boyle in a lively back-and-forth about Dr. Alfred Kinsey, contemporary fiction, and the role of the husband in the kitchen. (Personalities | January 10, 2005)

Letters from Egypt: Short, Cautionary Tales

Hotel bombings and terrorism aside, it’s the daily alien frustrations and local rituals that put the grit into living abroad. Amira Pierce reports from Cairo on the small infuriations that make her city unique. (Personalities | January 6, 2005)

Birnbaum v. Cynthia Ozick

No one can escape their past, and everyone once had parents who made mistakes. Our New Hampshire correspondent Robert Birnbaum chats with the wonderful Cynthia Ozick about the underpinnings of her new novel, the rewards of touring, and exactly how do publishers think. (Personalities | December 14, 2004)

Revolution Rock

If rock music used to have a message, then rarely was that message stronger than for South American revolutionaries, for whom it was a significant part of the struggle. Patrick Ambrose traces a history of social uprising, and explains how the music helped fuel it. (Personalities | December 13, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Lan Samantha Chang

All parents want their children to do well; not all parents want their children to become writers. Author Lan Samantha Chang chats with our man in Boston Robert Birnbaum about her new novel that was 10 years in the writing, and her slide from upstanding daughter to rebel with a clause. (Personalities | November 30, 2004)

Forever Changing

Arthur Lee—songwriter, social critic, and leader of ’60s rock band Love—is finally back after an extended absence. Patrick Ambrose witnesses Lee and his newly re-formed band play their classic album, Forever Changes, in concert and talks to him about what it meant then and still means today. (Personalities | October 21, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Jon Lee Anderson

Grave mistakes have been made in Iraq, but there’s still room for hope. Robert Birnbaum sits down with New Yorker correspondent Jon Lee Anderson for a fascinating, frank talk about life in Baghdad, U.S. policies as viewed from the street, and how Iraq’s insurgency could possibly be quelled. (Personalities | October 18, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Jennifer Finney Boylan

Our Boston correspondent ROBERT BIRNBAUM chats with novelist Jennifer Finney Boylan about going on Oprah, the differences between being a female writer versus a male writer, and her best-selling book about becoming the woman she always was. (Personalities | October 5, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Renata Adler

Our New Hampshire correspondent ROBERT BIRNBAUM catches up with veteran writer Renata Adler to survey today’s journalism (when it seems like a PR agency for the government) and learn exactly why you don’t diss the Times book review chief. (Personalities | September 16, 2004)

Talking With Alex Ross

Classical music was said to be dead in the 14th century, so why are we still holding it hostage? ROSECRANS BALDWIN talks to New Yorker music critic Alex Ross about the state of the art, which composers might appeal to different segments of rock fans, and exactly what he listens to at dinner. (Personalities | September 7, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Hendrik Hertzberg

Our man in New Hampshire ROBERT BIRNBAUM snags a fascinating conversation with the New Yorker’s principal political voice Hendrik Hertzberg about his new book, the President’s 12-step politics, and why the New York Times Book Review should avoid sexing up. (Personalities | August 23, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Charles McCarry

Once upon a time, the CIA was stocked with Yalie do-gooders, liberal spooks who were going to change the world. ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to the master novelist and former agent about a dying breed, posing as a reporter undercover, and the different ways to describe success in publishing. (Personalities | August 9, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Zoe Heller

Is the American publishing world a playground for pansies? Do all diners in fancy New York restaurants look European? Our man in New Hampshire ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to novelist about her new book, love for boys, and respect for the Prime Minister. (Personalities | July 29, 2004)

Home, Jeeves, Jonathan

Wouldn’t it be nice, when you’re on the verge of a big mistake, to have a personal butler escort you home? Author Jonathan Ames thinks so, in telling Pitchaya Sudbanthad about his new book, what he’s learned recently, and what it’s like to write for TV. (Personalities | July 26, 2004)

Birnbaum v. James Wood

Our man in New Hampshire Robert Birnbaum talks to critic and author James Wood about his professional dilemmas, what makes for appealing style in fiction, and which stings more, getting panned as a critic or as a novelist. (Personalities | July 13, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: Return to Sender

In the final installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who lived in Edinburgh for a year, returns home with a heart full of remembrance for the experiences she’s had, as well as for friends she’s made in her time abroad. (Personalities | June 24, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Michael Lewis

Author Michael Lewis talks with ROBERT BIRNBAUM about his wave-making book Moneyball and the current state of baseball, plus what’s good and bad with journalism today, Red Sox paranoia, and the joys of screenwriting. (Personalities | June 23, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Jim Harrison

Our man in New Hampshire Robert Birnbaum talks to Jim Harrison, author extraordinaire, about life in Montana, female chauvinism, navel-gazing in New York, and how a good MFA program might be established. (Personalities | June 7, 2004)

Following My First Mind

If pop music can change lives, then the process must begin someplace in the mind, and more likely in images than words. Tobias Seamon sends us a postcard from the backyard of his brain, where Sinead O’Connor shares time with the Talking Heads. (Opinions | June 1, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: A Day at the Races

In the eighth installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, blissfully listens to a talking head, then turns around and runs for her life. (Personalities | May 28, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Ben Jones

Some nights you want a period romance, some nights a claustrophobic babble-drama, and some nights you just want a ripping adventure story that will keep you awake. ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to novelist Ben Jones about his new book of Arctic exploration. (Personalities | May 27, 2004)

Letters from Russia: Ordeals in Vyborg

A town boasting roots in the middle ages, basements drowning in feces, and enough crime to scare away Finns who refuse to travel with guards—what more could a tourist want? Veronica Khokhlova leaves her home in St. Petersburg for the enticing Vyborg. (Personalities | May 26, 2004)

Take the Downtown Train

If more men know what’s under the hood of a car than the hood of a clitoris, surely a revolution is needed. Enthusiast Paul Ford interviews Ian Kerner, sex therapist and author of She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman. (Personalities | May 25, 2004)

One Ring Zero

Not many people can play the claviola, and fewer still can use it to accompany lyrics by Neil Gaiman or Margaret Atwood. Pitchaya Sudbanthad talks to Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp of One Ring Zero, band of a thousand authors. (Personalities | May 6, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Rachel Cohen

Ulysses S. Grant and Elizabeth Bishop never met, but we can imagine how the conversation might have gone. Robert Birnbaum talks to author Rachel Cohen about her book of road trips and crossed paths, including many of America’s best writers. (Personalities | May 3, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: Bulgarian Rhapsody

In the seventh installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, jets to Sofia to meet a friend, explores the city in all its relative weirdness, and learns to speak, or at least gesture, a new language. (Personalities | April 22, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Edwidge Danticat

America may believe in its own exceptionalism, but it’s also been exceptionally involved in Haiti’s history. Our man Robert Birnbaum talks to American Book Award-winner Edwidge Danticat about the current state of Haiti and the current state of her stories. (Personalities | April 20, 2004)

Hobbledehoydom

Being shy or bad at dancing is common for teenage boys, but some men carry on long into adulthood – men who are also called hobbledehoys. Juan Martinez, a self-confessed hobbledehoy, finds company in Trollope while updating the profile for contemporary times. (Personalities | April 19, 2004)

Birnbaum v. George Pelecanos

Most cities (save New York) have a crime-writer-in-residence, and D.C. is lucky to call George Pelecanos a local. Robert Birnbaum talks to the author about his new book, the daily grind, and what it’s like to write a TV show with a dream team of novelists. (Personalities | April 5, 2004)

Pinstriped Portraits

We know our bombers like the backs of our hands—Jeter, Matsui, now the almighty A-Rod—but who exactly are the Yankees’ fans? And is there more to life than hating the Red Sox? Our man in Albany TOBIAS SEAMON finds out what ticks for a few diehard New York fans. (Personalities | April 1, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: Term Break Fashion

In the sixth installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, considers the weather on her term break, then jaunts down to London and attends an alternative fashion show. (Personalities | March 31, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Laurie Lynn Drummond

We know the lives of cops from TV shows, movies, and maybe an uncle who retired from the squad, but those versions are rarely true to police officers’ real struggles. ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to former cop and lauded storyteller Laurie Lynn Drummond about life behind a Louisiana badge. (Personalities | March 25, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Francesca Delbanco

It’s easy for twenty-somethings to believe their lives are monumental and truly complex, but what if it’s true? Robert Birnbaum talks to first-time novelist Francesca Delbanco about the pleasures of Los Angeles, solidarity in friends, and going nuts in Montana. (Personalities | March 16, 2004)

Swimming

Spalding Gray’s body was identified this past Monday, having been pulled from the East River after he committed suicide. Pitchaya Sudbanthad remembers the actor and monologuist. (Personalities | March 12, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: Lazy Sunday Afternoon

In the fifth installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, settles into a routine abroad, learns from a friend how she needs to break away from the everyday, then does her Sunday shopping. (Personalities | March 9, 2004)

Letters from Russia: The Housewife’s Hay Market

Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment is still so modern we can relate to its passions and fits, and, if we know where to look, even its landmarks. Veronica Khokhlova takes us through 11 stops of modern St. Petersburg. (Personalities | March 8, 2004)

It’s Not Phair

The early ’90s were a great time to be a female singer-songwriter; that is, if your name was Liz P-something. Ex-Zuzu’s Petals lead singer LAURIE LINDEEN listens to a long-avoided album, and lays her axe to rest. (Personalities | March 1, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Brian Greene

Living in three dimensions can be hard enough, but ten? More than ten? Robert Birnbaum engages physicist and author Brian Greene in a fascinating conversation about string theory, science writing, and the type of nightmares that haunt contemporary physicists. (Personalities | February 26, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Ana Menendez

The U.S. understanding of Cuba often begins with embargoes and ends with Castro trying out for the Yankees. Robert Birnbaum speaks with Cuban author Ana Menendez on Fidel, Che, and fomenting passionate revolutions. (Personalities | February 18, 2004)

Now Here Is Nowhere

The Secret Machines’ full-length debut, Now Here is Nowhere, breaks new boundaries both sonically and legally: it’s being released in digital format today. CASEY BROWN chats with guitarist Benjamin Curtis and drummer Josh Garza. (Personalities | February 3, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Rafael Campo

Understanding ourselves better may be the key to getting better. Robert Birnbaum speaks with writer and physician Rafael Campo on the role literature and expression play in the healing process, and what’s being done about it. (Personalities | January 29, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: A Calm Uncharacteristic

In the fourth installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, visits Italy, where she marvels at people and architecture, and can never seem to elude those church bells. (Personalities | January 28, 2004)

Bright Nights, Big Mountains

The Sundance Film Festival may have a hard time maintaining its indie credibility, but as a magnet for celebrities there is little doubt about its powers. After a few days of film in Park City, writer SARAH HEPOLA looks back. (Personalities | January 26, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Henry Petroski

The next time your imperfect car breaks down perfectly, remember, someone designed it that way. New Hampshirite Robert Birnbaum talks to author and former engineer Henry Petroski about the effects of design in our lives. (Personalities | January 21, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Jonathan Lethem

The dead may know Brooklyn, but it’s the living who make it. Author Jonathan Lethem talks to the handsome Robert Birnbaum about his new book, how to handle savage reviews, and the process of remembering his hometown from far away. (Personalities | January 7, 2004)

Letters from Edinburgh: London Calling

In the third installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, visits London, where she fights crowds and considers looting the British Museum. (Personalities | January 6, 2004)

Birnbaum v. Peter Carey

To win the Booker Prize twice certainly requires talent, but to celebrate only one of the winnings suggests a particular madness. Robert Birnbaum talks to author Peter Carey about his new book, private schools in New York, and the terrors found in boredom. (Personalities | December 16, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Dale Peck

Being the most hated man in literature isn’t easy, but it helps to have a backbone of lauded novels behind you, plus an actual hatchet for publicity stunts. Our man Robert Birnbaum talks to novelist and former critic Dale Peck. (Personalities | December 3, 2003)

Letters from Edinburgh: Quick Change Terrain

In the second installment of her letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, watches Neighbors, hits the Highlands, and meets the most helpful shaggy dog in Scotland. (Personalities | November 20, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Anne Garrels

For many, Anne Garrels’s voice became the most trustworthy stream of information broadcast from Iraq. Robert Birnbaum has a frank discussion with the author and NPR Iraq correspondent, one of only 16 non-embedded journalists to remain in Baghdad for Operation Shock and Awe. (Personalities | November 18, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Charles Baxter

Covering topics such as his new book Saul and Patsy, Chekhov’s medical career, politics, Minnesota, and what it’s like to have your work made into film, author Charles Baxter talks to the intrepid Robert Birnbaum. (Personalities | November 4, 2003)

The Love That We Came to Know

Love! Romance! Roller skates! Xanadu actor Michael Beck comes to town, and SARAH HEPOLA reflects on what the movie meant to an entire generation of little girls (and boys) who wanted to be Olivia Newton-John. (Personalities | November 3, 2003)

Strangers in the Night

Since the great Columbia University scandal of 1984, paranormal investigations have had a bad rap in the United States, at least on the East coast. Seattle writer Matthew Baldwin joins up with A.G.H.O.S.T. for a night of spirit seeking. (Personalities | October 30, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Julie Orringer

American literature may over-adore the short story, but that doesn’t mean some great stories aren’t being written. ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to writer Julie Orringer about New Orleans, snarkism, and the relative ease of brain surgery. (Personalities | October 22, 2003)

Early Broadcasting

What happens when a ten-year-old enters the ranks of ham-radio enthusiasts and Dirty Old Men? Jason Feifer remembers his friends, his call letters, and his place in broadcast history. No ham or ham-product punnery included. (Personalities | October 20, 2003)

Letters from Edinburgh: Colorful Lullabies

In the first of her series of letters from Scotland, Claire Miccio, who is living in Edinburgh for a year, moves into her flat, learns the Scottish hoedown, and goes on a countryside jaunt that turns out to be anything but Withnail & I. (Personalities | October 16, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Gail Caldwell

A critic’s life can be a happy one, with the right frame of mind. Robert Birnbaum talks to Pulitzer-prize winner Gail Caldwell about a life well read, 19th-century novels, and the changing of hearts. (Personalities | September 30, 2003)

One Hit Wonder

Forty-five years ago this Sunday, Chuck Lindstrom got his first hit in his first major-league baseball game. He didn’t know that it would be his last of each. DAVE REIDY with an interview. (Personalities | September 26, 2003)

Certifiable

Sure, teaching isn’t for everyone. Finding that out may be difficult, but the awful truth that drives many out of the classroom, screaming, is even harder to ~~lern~~ learn. SARAH HEPOLA was a teacher. (Personalities | September 25, 2003)

Clueless in Academe: An Interview with Gerald Graff

Professors complain that each year’s batch of students are more clueless than the last, but could they be the ones in the dark? JOHN WARNER interviews author and academic Gerald Graff on who’s to blame for the failures in our classrooms. (Personalities | September 16, 2003)

Neocons, Midwives, and Me

After Ozzfest and Gigli, Howard Dean was the show to see this summer. Ace reporter Matthew ‘Punch’ Baldwin attended a rally with two friends who, for very different reasons, want Dean to win the primary. (Personalities | September 10, 2003)

Birnbaum v. Douglas Coupland

It’s a good world when Americans and Canadians can still get along. In his first interview for TMN, ROBERT BIRNBAUM talks to author Douglas Coupland about Columbine, art projects, pus-bags, and that sexy country of sin up north. (Personalities | September 4, 2003)

The Stitch Service

Big scoops don’t often happen to little towns, so when a delegation arrives from Ukrania, you can bet it’s front-page news. Reporter Jason Feifer on the struggle for headlines. (Personalities | August 28, 2003)

Troubling New Events

Maybe it’s something to do with the harmonies, maybe it’s the way it just makes you feel good. You might not want to admit it, but your toes are definitely tapping. JOHN WARNER has some upsetting news. (Personalities | July 22, 2003)

Virginia is for Readers

Costumes, manuscripts, and really big hats: Claire Miccio goes to the Virginia Woolf Conference and meets the Trekkies of Mrs. Dalloway. (Personalities | June 18, 2003)

Here She Is…Miss American Idol

Justin! Kelly! Justin!! Kelly!!!! A throng of adoring fans in Burleson, Texas, welcomes Kelly Clarkson and co-star at her hometown stop on their movie tour. SARAH HEPOLA witnesses the mayhem. (Personalities | June 16, 2003)

Pervert

Apple Computer is well-known for its excellent customer service, but what happens when they’re liable for your perversions? MICHAEL BARRISH inspects the details of the case. (Personalities | June 12, 2003)

The Witch of Dove Street

Amidst gutters draining the wrong way, strange happenings in nature, and loneliness, Tobias Seamon lived in a witch’s house. Better pet the cat for good luck. (Personalities | June 4, 2003)

Washington Gothic

Within the halls of Washington, D.C., lurks a stench of unsolved crimes, muttering highwaymen, and altogether strange behavior. Clay Risen peers into the capital’s dark corners. (Personalities | May 21, 2003)

To Tell You the Truth

As the journalism world feeds on its own frenzy, SARAH HEPOLA confronts an intimate past with exposed Times fabricator Jayson Blair, and her own history of exaggeration. (Personalities | May 16, 2003)

New York Diary: Eating with Harley Spiller

SARS be damned: ROSECRANS BALDWIN searches for the perfect dumpling in New York’s Chinatown, guided through eight restaurants in two hours by the man known as Inspector Collector. (Personalities | May 14, 2003)

Seven Steps to the Perfect Mix

We know it’s ill-advised to drop Blonde Redhead next to word jazz, but our mixes are still hopeless. Jennifer Conrad talks with Isaac Green of the StarTime International record label about putting together the best mix tape ever. (Personalities | May 12, 2003)

Selections From My Most Wanted

The U.S. printed the 55 most-wanted Iraqis on a deck of cards to enable both easy apprehension and quick games of rummy. But its villains aren’t the only ones on the loose. JOHN WARNER deals a more personal hand. (Personalities | May 9, 2003)

Walking the Rx Red Carpet

Where do you get the scoop on the drug industry’s hot new products? Why, at the Rx spring show, that’s where! Tobias Seamon makes nice with the celebrated followers of pharmaceuticals. (Personalities | May 7, 2003)

Page Daze

Low-rung employees at Saturday Night Live may not make Lorne’s salary, but they do get to hobnob with the weird and wonderful. Former page ALAN BAIRD looks back on the Belushi days. (Personalities | May 6, 2003)

My Father Speaks Another Language

It’s been said that parents just don’t understand. But what about when it’s the other way around? SARAH HEPOLA hears what her father is saying, but still can’t decipher a word of it. (Personalities | April 22, 2003)

An Interview With the Dolphin

Many were surprised when the U.S. Navy announced it was using dolphins for mine-sweeping in the war with Iraq. Even more were stunned when one of the dolphins went AWOL. Submerged reporter PAUL FORD gets the interview. (Personalities | April 8, 2003)

A Good Day To Be Alive

A conversation about life as a wino, the effects of war, heroin, Shiner, marriage and pornography, horseplay and jail, and the amount of muscles it takes to frown, between William and Sarah Hepola. (Personalities | March 27, 2003)

75,000,000 Toddlers Can’t be Wrong

Steve Burns, the former host of Nickleodeon’s kids show Blue’s Clues, has embarked on a new career path: musician. Interview by Paul Ford, with equal parts comradery and mind control. (Personalities | March 17, 2003)

Tom Ridge, You Could be the New Oprah!

Major contributors to the Republican party may be getting pay-offs in the most unexpected ways. Philip Graham considers opening his checkbook with an idea that could save the free world and literature. (Personalities | March 12, 2003)

Albany, Counting the Ways

The heart of New York may be in the five boroughs, but its gear box is buried under snow in Albany. Upstater Tobias Seamon reports on the many reasons to love a seedy town of secrets, bosses, and smoke-filled rooms. (Personalities | March 11, 2003)

Accidental Strength

Princeton graduate Ung Lee wins prestige, cash, and a number of prizes for his fiction thesis. The hitch is, one of the stories was stolen. Seth Shafer, the author whose work was robbed, responds. (Personalities | March 3, 2003)

Josh’s Creepily Prescient Oscar Picks

It’s Oscar time again. But before you drop your paycheck in the office pool on who will snag Best Supporting Whatever, peruse Joshua Allen’s dead-on predictions for the winners. (Personalities | February 26, 2003)

Starfucker

Meeting and interviewing (and yes, dating) the stars proves tiresome for even well-seasoned celebrity-worshipper Sarah Hepola. The life of lies and junkets, however, makes for the best party conversation. (Personalities | February 10, 2003)

NYC vs. LA

The exodus to Los Angeles is growing. CASEY BROWN goes for a drive with public speaker and gallery curator Brendan Fowler, discussing life and art in the apple vs. the crapple. (Personalities | January 23, 2003)

Designer Kidnappings

New York has a service for every customer, even those who want to be kidnapped. CRISSA-JEAN CHAPPELL talks to Brock Enright, kidnapping-artist with a degree from Columbia, whose company will force you to face your worst fears, gag in place. (Personalities | January 21, 2003)

Joe Mitchell’s Secret

Considered the best profile writer New York’s ever seen, Joseph Mitchell’s influence is unfortunately on the wane. Clay Risen on why today’s prose-makers have lost their way. (Personalities | January 7, 2003)

Sympathy for the Deviled Eggs

Christmas has its fans and foes, but the tanenbaum-crazed, decked in holiday sweaters, are a different story. LESLIE HARPOLD comes to terms with her love for the Yule. (Personalities | December 19, 2002)

The Army Wives Club

There is life as a civilian, life as a soldier, and then something in-between: a soldier’s spouse. Army wife Nicole Hunter reports on the glamour, stress, and rewards of life on the base. (Personalities | December 12, 2002)

Roundtable: Academia

What happens when you put five academics together and talk about the future of higher learning, the intricacies of tenure, and whether or not American high-schoolers are really learning anything? THE EDITORS strap on their mortarboards and find out. (Personalities | December 9, 2002)

To the Teen Beat of His Own Drummer

Maybe all you know him as is ‘the other one’ from Weird Science, but SARAH HEPOLA interviewed Ilan Mitchell-Smith and bunked popular expectation by meeting a former-actor turned real-human-being (and Ph.D. candidate, no less). (Personalities | December 3, 2002)

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Sometimes the best person for the job actually gets it. With a good friend running for political office in Maine, SARAH HEPOLA hits the campaign trail. (Personalities | November 13, 2002)

Requiem for Boddy

A somber moment, remembering a departed friend. Reflecting on a life of wartime heroics, stateside baronism, and missed opportunities, Matthew Baldwin takes the podium and says a few words. (Personalities | November 11, 2002)

It’s a Grave Undertaking

Pun-master and self-described ‘hauntrepreneur,’ Doug Antreassian offers a unique service in Salem, Mass.: a hearse-driven tour of the town describing past crimes and present. DAWN EDEN reports from spook-central. (Personalities | October 30, 2002)

The Macca Attack

The ‘cute Beatle’ has long been loved by many, but his tallied transgressions have dropped him out of some people’s favor. CLAIRE ZULKEY finds a new favorite Beatle. (Personalities | October 24, 2002)

Windows to Byzantium

There are not many stories that combine the Yankees, Babies Hospital, gardens, Yeats, Hello Kitty, and death. Tobias Seamon has one, and names the names. (Personalities | October 8, 2002)

Credit in the Straight World

In bad economic times, it’s hard to be picky about your job. Ex-Screw editor Ivan Lerner is still writing, though now about petroleum, not porn. COLIN BRAYTON reports. (Personalities | September 17, 2002)

The Art of Writing Beautiful Poetry

In 1999, Rosecrans Baldwin sent his grandson an essay, ‘The Art of Writing Beautiful Poetry,’ that promised to answer the immortal question, why do people write poetry? Three years later, the essay answers anything but. (Personalities | September 9, 2002)

The Alaina Rautio Interview

A controlled rainstorm, dolls that come to life, an accidental fire. Joshua Allen talks with architect Alaina Rautio about a house she built in a bottle in Portland, Maine. (Personalities | August 27, 2002)

Joseph Zoettl’s Grotto

The American South has many strange places to visit, though most towns don’t have their own Hanging Gardens of Babylon, complete with plastic elephants. Clay Risen reports on an odd attraction, built by a fascinating man. (Personalities | August 14, 2002)

This Week Beyond Baseball

A dim light in the booth. A buzzing, and the microphone fizzles back on. Welcome back the ghost of Mel Allen, the departed host of This Week in Baseball! With Biff Loman in tow, his soul walks again to give us the rundown on who to watch in the 2002 pennant race. (Personalities | August 13, 2002)

Is Gotham the New Interstate?

Most graphic designers are lazy about type, so when they find a font they like, they stick to it. In the 90s, everyone used Interstate. Dmitri Siegel interviews Tobias Frere-Jones, Interstate’s designer, to see if he’s drawn the next big face. (Personalities | August 8, 2002)

The Personal Injury Files

Damages incurred may never be rewarded, but at least they can be remembered. Forever. JASON GURLEY has the files on anyone who ever wronged him. (Personalities | August 7, 2002)

Who’s Lee Hazlewood?

He’s truly one of the most influential and innovative figures in modern music. He’s been around a long time and left for dead more than once. And now he’s back. DAVID WILLEMS traces a life in music. (Personalities | July 24, 2002)

I Remember Patty

Good friends bring out the best in us. Bad friends bring out the instincts that can lead to years in prison. MENA G. TROTT remembers the girl she almost stabbed. (Personalities | July 23, 2002)

Chagrin and Men I Have Loved

Shark attacks, public gaffes, ruining a prom dress: as topics for nightmares, any may cause a bad night’s sleep. But only Margaret Berry has survived them all in full daylight, with the help of a few good men. (Personalities | June 17, 2002)

Shy Child

New York City ‘Synth-rock’ duo Shy Child makes a unique type of music, an amalgam of synthesizer and live drums, with energy and precision. They spoke with ANDREW WOMACK about what’s happened, what’s next, and what’s in a genre. (Personalities | June 12, 2002)

The All-Bastard Athletic Club

Meet the Bastards: a collection of the meanest baseball players who ever lived. TOBIAS SEAMON reports from the bench and ducks whenever a stray bat is flung at his head. (Personalities | June 10, 2002)

The Secret Machines

The very extraordinary Secret Machines, en masse, spoke to ANDREW WOMACK about scaring the audience, the recording of September 000, and potluck dinners. (Personalities | May 24, 2002)

Ten Great Beatles Moments

Universally beloved, the Beatles changed everything with their personality, their experiments, and, of course, their music. Because, ‘With the Beatles, the music is the point,’ John Lennon said, and ‘you have all this great music.’ KEN WOMACK explains why. (Personalities | May 17, 2002)

A Chat with Penny, Chatterbot

Computers are taking over the world, and, recently, they’ve started talking back. Celebrity reporter Dennis Mahoney gets the inside scoop on Penny, infamous chatterbot and supreme know-it-all. (Personalities | May 2, 2002)

A Few Hours in Havana

Havana is a beautiful city: loud, old, rotting in some parts, opulent in others. And, for Americans, completely off-limits unless you’re a student, Ry Cooder, or willing to risk your government’s wrath. Traveling correspondent TIM WEED describes a recent visit, with memories of ghosts, women, and stylish refrigerators. (Personalities | April 11, 2002)

Roundtable: Writing on the Web

We have an obvious stake in the state of writing on the Web: it’s what we do, what we’re interested in, and something we care about. So when we began asking ourselves, ‘What is writing like on the Web, today?’ we decided that rather than answer the question ourselves, it would be a lot more fun to kidnap a bunch of people we like and respect, lock them in a garage with a few folding chairs, and make them answer our questions. THE EDITORS listen. (Personalities | December 5, 2001)

Mike Cina of True Is True

Cina is a designer in the broadest sense. His work spans a wide range of commercial and personal art, including print and Web design, typography, painting, photography, and bookmaking. Also, he is a fisherman. ROSECRANS BALDWIN interviews the man behind True is True. (Personalities | July 18, 2001)

Sam Brown of Exploding Dog

Sam Brown of Exploding Dog makes drawings from your titles. A simple formula for an author/reader exchange, and Sam has made some very funny, heartwearming drawings that touch us with their simplicity. ROSECRANS BALDWIN talks to the Dog. (Personalities | July 3, 2001)

Petter Ringbom

Creating Public Service Announcements to the Web community, doing the work for the love of the craft, taking the fear out of facing reality: ANDREW WOMACK chatted with designer Petter Ringbom about his design, your design, and going berserk. (Personalities | June 27, 2001)

Flip Flop Flyin

It’s been two years since Flip Flop Flyin started, and the Web hasn’t been the same ever since. Craig, the man behind the tiny man, joined ROSECRANS BALDWIN for a short conversation and helped him understand the beauty of small things. Note: Craig does not have a ‘Beatles’ haircut. He is very serious about this. (Personalities | April 5, 2001)

Pachinko6

Pachinko6 gained a certain notoriety among Web design circles for publishing daily e-mail ‘viruses.’ It was hard to find him, but he finally responded. ROSECRANS BALDWIN dished with him. (Personalities | March 1, 2001)

Andy Crewdson of Lines & Splines

ROSECRANS BALDWIN interviews Andy Crewdson of Lines & Splines. We especially like that he is an ‘average indie kid.’ (Personalities | December 17, 2000)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Archives

Personalities

TODAY’S FEATURE

National Deficit