A conversation with Kurt Andersen

with Kurt Andersen
in Current Affairs, Books, Technology
on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 * * * * *

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A conversation with Kurt Andersen, American novelist who is currently a columnist for New York Magazine ("The Imperial City"), and host of the Peabody-winning public radio program Studio 360.

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Keywords:
The Imperial City
Barack Obama
Studio 360
vsl
New York
NPR
very short list
PRI

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  • Comments 6
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    1. Gina  05/25/2008 07:44 PM Report

      Kurt, you are awesome.

      I've never given a hoot about much of anything, I've been politically engaged one time in my life (protesting the war)

      and I'm registered independent.

      I am engaged by Obama (and several of his surrounding staffers).

      I appreciate your thoughtful and intelligent analysis of what makes Obama interesting to smart people. I was a philosophy student here and overseas for 5 years, politics are impossible to tolerate when one has been trained to see fallacy, irrationalism, and propaganda.

      I swoon over Obama, too--straight from my brain and ethical core.

      Thanks for giving an awesome interview with honest answers from your brain & heart.

    2. Andrew  05/25/2008 01:06 AM Report

      The Daily Howler is criticizing this atrocious interview in which this journalists unabashedly admits he's swooning for Obama:

      <strong>A SWOON RAN UP HIS LEG</strong>: Embarrassing. On Wednesday night, Charlie Rose hosted Kurt Andersen, whose column, Imperial City, appears in New York magazine. (His current effort is entitled, â??<a href="http://nymag.com/news/imperialcity/46658/">About that Crush on Obama</a>.â??) In our mind, Andersenâ??s appearance was an embarrassing match for John Judisâ?? recent TNR piece, the one in which Judis seems to say that one current White House hopeful should be held to a different standard.

      Our view? Given the record of the past dozen years, youâ??d almost think that major journalists would avoid the grisly word, â??swoon.â?? But not Kurt and Charlieâ??they started right in! This cohort simply never adjusts, no matter how many people get maimed or killed in the wars their dumbness creates.

      Sorry. This â??swoonyâ?? stuff was embarrassing ten years ago. At this point, itâ??s well past inane:

      ROSE (5/21/08): I am pleased to have Kurt Andersen back at this table. Welcome.

      ANDERSEN: Great to be back.

      ROSE: Here we have The Imperial Cityâ??all right? Look here: â??About That Crush on Obama.â?? <strong>Youâ??like Michael Kinsley is sayingâ??â??Iâ??m swooning</strong>.â??

      ANDERSEN: Oh, and Iâ??ve said it from the get-go. I have neverâ??because this is a column, because I donâ??t have to pretend like real journalists to be objectiveâ??

      ROSE: Itâ??s opinion. Right.

      ANDERSEN: â??Iâ??ve been unabashed about my fondness and, yes, <strong>my swooning for Obama.</strong>

      ROSE: <strong>OK. Does it grow? And what is it that causes you to be so swoony?</strong> Obviously, for you to say this means that youâ??ve thought about this, and what is it about him?

      ANDERSEN: Yes.

      â??Obviously...this means that you thought about this,â?? Charlie fawned. Unaccountably, his guest said, â??Yes.â??

    3. shudder  05/24/2008 03:29 PM Report

      embarassing interview.

    4. jaden  05/23/2008 10:05 PM Report

      I just saw "Charlie Rose" by Samuel Beckett on youtube and laughed all the way through. I loved it. I've gotta see it again.

    5. Michael McGuire  05/22/2008 03:33 AM Report

      Charlie, you asked Kurt Andersen what his definition of "Design" was, and since he fumbled around a bit, I thought as a professional artist and workshop instructor, I'd give you mine - the one I offer my design students. In the realm of fine art, Design equals Composition. In one sentence "Design is the abstract organization of shapes of colors, values, and textures in patterns and relationships." The goal of which is to convey a whole host of ideas, moods, emotions, stories, narratives, and vision.

      As the visual "language" Design is Everything!... Supported by technique, everything initiated in visual art can be said to be a function of Design. Example: each and every single brushstroke, must be designed for they can enter and exit in a variety of ways to accomplish a specific purpose. Thus, must be "designed."

      There is much, much more to it that just that, but I hope this offers another answer to your question.

      Michael Allen McGuire

      Professional Fine Artist/Illustrator/Instructor

      Santa Fe, New Mexico

    6. RE Mant  05/22/2008 12:17 AM Report

      Design makes things or ideas good, ie, functional, useful, beautiful, elegant, efficient, ideal or real, etc. It reflects our ability to conceptualize.

      Funny thing how magazines have actually increased so much in recent years. They are products in a way that the Internet is not, or at least not yet, or may never become, since it doesn't seem the Internet cares much about products.