JOURNALISM
Pick of the lot
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`The best from among thousands of entries edited, published and sold in the United States by professional journalists are showcased.'
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THE Ellie National Magazine Awards of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) are highly coveted. The best from among thousands of entries edited, published and sold in the United States by professional journalists are showcased in an anthology. The current one is the fifth in the annual series.
Magazines are remarkable instruments of change, information and motivation. They present a rich, well-realised and innovative view of the human condition; they evoke an imagined community of fellow readers. How does one distinguish between newspaper, book and magazine journalism? "Newspapers made declarations; books contemplated; magazines, by contrast, seemed involved in a human tempo conversation about the world and what was in it," states Susan Orlean in her introduction. All the pieces in the collection transcend time and geographical barriers and have universal appeal.
Thorough research
The anthology contains 18 pieces published in American magazine by celebrated journalists. Every major event that made world history finds a place and each one is the last word, because of thorough research and investigation and readable presentation. The subjects include global politics, human rights and profoundly personal issues relating to journalism itself. There are also two pieces of fiction as fiction forms an integral part of magazines.
The awards/ nominations are in those categories of public interest, namely, feature writing, reporting, review and criticism, essays, profile writing, leisure interests, columns and commentary and fiction. In each category, there are two pieces, the winner and the finalist, from magazine with circulations from 100,000 to 2,000,000. The list of magazines with the names of the then editors and the names of the professionals who assessed them are included, giving credence and transparency to the process. There are five selections each from The New Yorker and Esquire, four from The Atlantic Monthly and one each from GQ, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone and Zoetrope: All Story.
Concerns over the war
The writings reflect the major world events of last year and the attendant after-effects. The Iraq War has a major chunk and Seymour Hersh's article ("The Stovepipe") elucidate the selective intelligence used by the Bush administration to justify the invasion. John Cassidy ("The David Kelly Affair") unravels the political scandal on the suicide of the British weapons scientist in detail. Evan Wright ("The Killer Elite") describes the daily discomforts of Marines and the horrors of war in Iraq. The essay on the harrowing methods of torture and interrogation post 9/11 all over the world including India by Mark Bowden ("The Dark Art of Interrogation") is the most comprehensive. Michael Wolff's "My Big Question" is also on the war reporting in Iraq.
The investigative analysis on the failure of the Columbia Space Mission and the tragic loss of precious lives by William Langewiesche ("Columbia's Last Flight) is the best ever exposure of carelessness, casual attitude and arrogance. Laura Hillenbrand is the author of the bestseller Sea Biscuits. Her utmost courage in suffering due to the largely undiagnosed and debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome ("A Sudden Illness") is inspiring. Calvin Trillin's anecdotal narration ("Newshound") is on R.W. Apple Jr., the prolific journalist who has left an indelible mark on the profession. "The $20 Theory of the Universe" by Tom Chiarella extols the results of bribe. The trip of a team of gentlemen under the leadership of Rev. Al Sharpton to heal the wounds of Africa and to find a settlement of the Liberian civil war is the theme of Tucker Carlson's "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". "The Only Meaning Oil-wet Water" by Dave Eggers is truly reflective of his stature as an outstanding fiction writer.
K. KUNHIKRISHNAN
The Best American Magazine Writing 2004, compiled by the American Society of Magazine Editors, Perennial Currents, HarperCollins, $14.95.
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