New York Magazine - USA (2021-02-01)

6 newyork| february1–14, 2021

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1 New York’s last issuegrappledwitha
tumultuousthree-weekperiodin
Washingtonstartingwiththestormingof
the Capitol(“End-Times,”January18–
31 ). Many praisedtheissue’s typecover:
On Twitter,ChristopherT. Assafcalledit
“a breathtaking,adventurouscoverthat
fi ts the contentand themomentin
time.” Wallace McKelveyresponded,
“This @NYMag cover is exceptional
graphic design: simple and striking.”
@Kozza remarked, “Might bethemost
consequential set of Wednesdaysever.”
@mhyager joked, “Who needs theIdesof
March when you can have the I’sofJanu-
ary.” In “The Broken President,”Jona-
than Chait wrote of the grim realityfacing
Trump post-presidency. Political-science
professor Marco Lowe added toChait’s
accounting: “Despite all the majorissues
the President faces upon leavingoffice,
this piece does not mention the$73mil-
lion he may owe the IRS as well.”Bran-
don Sheffield was more sanguineabout
Trump’s ability to avoid punishment:“A
guy who can get thousands of peopleto
commit crimes by vague suggestionis in
trouble? I’d love for it to be true butthat is
not the American way.” And in “TheView
From 25,” Olivia Nuzzi profiled Congress’s
youngest member, Madison Cawthorn,
and pondered the future he representsfor
the GOP. Pod Save America’s TommyViet-
or wro
who a
Red B
guy with seemingly no principlesbeyond
ambition and a painfully inflatedandna-

ivesenseofhisownpower.” Journalist

GaryLegumwishedNuzziwould’vechal-

lengedCawthorn’saccusationsthat Dem-

ocratspaidtherioters,writing,“It wasby

nomeansa puff piece,butI feellike ‘Do

youstillbelievethismobwasmadeupof

Democratspaidto make Trumplook

bad’wouldhavebeen a good,tough

question.” VincentOliverwarned,“Don’t

underestimatehim.Heunderstands

politicsandpeoplebetterthanmost,

andhe’sonly 25 .”

2 In “After Alarmism,” David Wallace-

Wells catalogued a year of startling

climate advances (January 18–31).Ben

Wessel, the executive director ofNextGen

America, called it “a fair surveyofthe

playing field, and a road map tosuccess

and failure.” And Na’im Merchantwrote,

“What I can appreciate about thispieceis

the focus on the Global South—whichis

largely absent in a lot of climatejournal-

ism.” Many touted the essay’s optimism:

Businessman Tom Steyer, whoranfor

president on a platform of aggressively

combating climate change, sharedthe

story, writing, “There is a lot of worktodo

when it comes to climate actionandenvi-

ronmental justice. But there is goodnews

now that the American publicandour

new administration believe thatit is

#TimeToAct.” New York CityCouncil-

me er responded,“Aswe

ina ent who knowswe

mu at the climatecrisis,

here’s a great piece ... that showswe

can.” And Matthew Yglesias wrote,“I

thinkwe...needto do a better job of in-

formingpeoplethat there’s actually been

a lotofgoodnewsabout progressagainst

climate change.This new [Wallace-

Wells]piecesumsup the recent progress

(anditslimits)really well.” Otherreaders

foundlesscausefor celebrationin Wal-

lace-Wells’s account: Michael Taylor

wrote,“I’mnotsure there’s much ‘good

news’ here when even the best-case

scenario posited—a two-degree [warmer

world]—will deliver a situation ‘unman-

ageable for any social systemin any

country to deal with.’ ” @adjectivalnoun

added, “The form of optimism it presents

is bleak,butit is stilloptimism.”

3 In an excerpt from his new biography

of director Mike Nichols, New York’s

Mark Harris recounted how directing

Nora Ephron’s divorce movie preceded

Nichols’s own breakup—and breakdown

(“Mike Nichols’s Heartburn,” January

18–31). Reader Lisa Rosman wrote,

“Thank you for directing your gaze toward

one of the most fascinating artists of the

second half of the 20th century (and first

part of the 21st!).” Adam Bonin comment-

ed, “Mike Nichols was a pivotal, brilliant

talent, worthy of the kind of historical

and cultural analysis Mark can bring to

the table.” And screenwriter and director

Harry Elfont wrote, “This excerptis rivet-

ing and revealing and a lil’ dishy. I’m so

looking forward to reading this book

while I wait in line to get vaccinated!”

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34 new york | january 18 31 2021