Author Archives: kira

Catching up: Reflections on 80s rockers

Posted on March 18, 2013 by kira

I’ve been keeping a short stack of magazines that I thought I might write about, which led to a juxtaposition between two 80s rock icons that has been haunting me. The backstory: The first album I remember my parents buying … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 issues, Best of | Leave a comment

DC folks: See work by French street artist JR

Posted on October 13, 2012 by kira

Last November, “In the picture” profiled the political and collaborative street art of JR. I found his work in disenfranchised communities in Brazil particularly striking. (My original comments.) JR just completed his first  installation in DC:  A paste-up mural called “I … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011 issues | 1 Comment

A bit too defensive about science fiction

Posted on October 8, 2012 by kira

This summer’s fiction issue is the first I can recall dedicated to one genre of fiction. Exciting for me – I grew up on science fiction, but I’ve lost touch with the genre. I was eager to see how it had … Continue reading →

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“Don’t open this door!”

Posted on October 7, 2012 by kira

In Jake Halpern’s “Secret of the Temple,” we learn right away that in Kerala, India, things don’t work the way we’re used to: Deities can actually own property in India, though the law treats them as minors and they must … Continue reading →

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Letters from China: A few of my favorites

Posted on September 30, 2012 by kira

I feel like a paternalistic culture voyeur saying this, but it’s true — I love reading The New Yorker‘s stories about life in China. (Can I legitimize my interest by mentioning a paper I wrote in grad school, on managing … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 issues, Best of, Older issues | 1 Comment

“The English Wars,” continued in The Mail

Posted on September 3, 2012 by kira

If you don’t usually read the letters to the editor, you missed a couple of important (and fun!) ones early this summer — I can’t remember seeing a writer get clobbered quite so thoroughly before. In the original piece, “The … Continue reading →

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“Spots” illustrations: Five highlights from the past few months

Posted on August 30, 2012 by kira

Do you follow “Spots”? They are the little illustrations that appear scattered through the magazine. (If they are new to you, more about them here.) Here are a few that caught my eye since spring: For the April 9 issue, … Continue reading →

Posted in Best of, Cartoons and drawings | Leave a comment

Covers: Four highlights from the last few months

Posted on August 29, 2012 by kira

Don’t worry, I won’t post about every issue since early April, when I started a break from this blog. (That would be a great way to get 6 more months behind…!) So, just highlights. Let’s start with covers that caught … Continue reading →

Posted in Best of, Cartoons and drawings | Leave a comment

“Click to Print,” my New Yorker-inspired Artomatic installation

Posted on August 27, 2012 by kira

Some of you have noticed my long blogging silence. This spring and summer, my life was taken over by several big projects that all hit at once. I’m almost recovered! And to mark my re-entry into New Yorker-land, I wanted … Continue reading →

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Thinking about Lyndon Johnson — April 2, 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by kira

“The Transition,” which traces the events of the day that Lyndon B. Johnson became president, is a riveting excerpt from a book by Robert Caro that comes out today. Caro has written extensively about LBJ, and all of it is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 issues | 1 Comment