I expect some of my favorite bloggers are in turmoil this morning after seeing themselves name-checked in my article on agent-to-the-interweb Kate Lee in this week's New Yorker -- their excitement at being mentioned in the magazine in conflict with their (perhaps understandable) instinct to flay alive anyone with the temerity to write about blogs for ye olde media. I imagine this guy will be particularly chagrined at my use of the word "karaoke," which he has, after all, made clear that he hates even as he forwards invitations.
Those who avoided mention in the story have no reason not to do their worst to me, which is the main reason I regret that a line about Choire got cut ( "'no interest in having an agent,' sighed Lee. 'Or if he does, he�s being very secretive about it.') More disappointing, however, is that an early reference to Uncle Grambo had to go. It contained a callback an old joke in the form of the phrase, "addictively obscurantist lingo."
FAQ
Q. Is she your agent?
A. Like they'd let me get away with that. The full-disclosure moment the editors decided was unnecessary: Lee did e-mail me, but I wanted to write this story more than I wanted representation.
Q. Is this your first article for them?
A. No, I write a Talk of the Town item like clockwork every three years.
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