June 30, 2014 Issue

I traversed the pages of this week’s issue feeling mostly boredom. I couldn’t care less about what’s next for xx. Ditto re living the Fitbit life. Ditto re Ted Cruz. Nathan Heller’s profile of Richard Linklater is mildly interesting, but I missed the subjectivity that characterized his wonderful “Semi-Charmed Life” (The New Yorker, January 14, 2013). I didn’t read “The Pink House” (I’m allergic to fiction). I didn’t read Hilton Als’s piece (I’m allergic to theatre, too). Caleb Crain on Stephen Crane - what a tedious slog! That leaves Anthony Lane’s review of Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys. Lane’s tonic, blunt verdict – “Jersey Boys is a mess” – made me smile. It perfectly matched my mood.