- 04 July 2008 |
- Site Map |
- Brijit Blog |
- Brijit for Facebook |
- FAQ
- The Economist
- | Time
- | The New Yorker
- | Fortune
- | ESPN The Magazine
- | Wired
- | Smithsonian
- | A.V. Club
in New York
by
Chris Smith, 19 May 2008
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has had a dramatic rise to power, and has long been considered one of the front-runners in next year's mayoral race. Yet, as Smith intelligently points out, her meteoric rise may be halted due to a scandal involving the council's slush fund, which funneled millions of tax dollars into council members' pet projects. All too often, scandal-related articles are far too one-sided; Smith does an admirable job of trying to explain Quinn's nuances, her political future, and the slush fund scandal.
Posted 10:10, 14 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Neil Vakharia
and edited by Brijit.
Despite an ailing economy and ridiculous real estate prices across New York City, "amazingness lives" in some homes, proving that, thanks to one individual's vision, "behind any facade, you might find wonderland." This massive feature highlights six superb examples, from an 18-room castle in Yonkers to a "blindingly white" Manhattan condo. Each feature is loaded with stunning pictures of the home and interesting accounts of the inspiration behind the designs as well as the painstaking process of turning vision into reality. An engaging feature sure to inspire edifice envy in the architecturally inclined.
Posted 9:55, 14 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Brian Willett
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
David Amsden, 12 May 2008
Amsden paints a colorful portrait of Taavo Somer, the 35-year-old restaurateur who has become an arbiter of cool in Manhattan, particularly with Freeman's, his "dive bar for yuppies." Part poseur, part design genius, and part trendsetter, Somer, a failed architect, fell into his role as hipster's hipster by accident by launching a line of inside-out T-shirt designs. His skewed view reveals a hidden beauty in things otherwise deemed seedy, but whether this truly is genius or an ephemeral trend is up for debate.
Posted 4:53, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Elliot Feldman
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
Jennifer Gonnerman, 12 May 2008
For New York City subway workers, life in "the hole" is dangerous. Fifty-eight people died in the subway tunnels last year, from suicide victims to homeless people to teenagers "surfing" on top of the trains, as well as some of the transit workers who repair and maintain the tracks. Gonnerman follows workers Marvin Franklin, Mike Williams, and Jeff Hill on a typical day, and their stories are peppered with tales of close calls on a job that frequently departs from established procedures in the field -- a fact that in this story brings another death. Gonnerman fleshes out these men's personalities and their death-defying work with heartfelt eloquence.
Posted 4:46, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Francis Merlie
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
Kurt Andersen, 12 May 2008
As a member of the media elite, Andersen admits in this revealing piece that he knows few fervent Clinton supporters -- his tribe sees Obama as its home team. Though he takes a few unnecessary cheap shots at the Clintons, Andersen's sports analogy perfectly captures the current polarization in the race. Obama's thoughtfulness, ambivalence, and reserve, he argues, are what make him so attractive to the media and to young people. Working-class Clinton supporters, on the other hand, are alienated by Obama for the same reasons they feel alienated from the media; they're not part of either's worldview, except as tragic figures.
Posted 3:34, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Dan Feder
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
Emily Nussbaum, 12 May 2008
Nussbaum follows Sarah Jessica Parker through her home turf in Manhattan, exploring the neighborhood as they discuss Sex and the City, and the city itself. Parker, New York-bred if not -born, has a fierce nostalgia for the boroughs of her childhood, a feeling she shares with husband Matthew Broderick and their son. She has held onto her own peculiar personality, which is not at all like her character's on Sex and the City, even though the show's continuing popularity means she could certainly capitalize on the brand. Nussbaum's article, familiar without being overly friendly, nicely encapsulates Parker's dichotomous lifestyle and ideals.
Posted 3:33, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Laura Sorensen
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
Liesl Schillinger, 5 May 2008
Actress Mamie Gummer has a lot to live up to -- she's Meryl Streep's daughter, and the physical resemblance is uncanny. But the acting resemblance may be just as strong, as Gummer is launching her career in earnest this year and already winning raves for her various roles, including a Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Unfortunately, Schillinger's profile doesn't go much beyond the surface, focusing more on Gummer's current living arrangement with her family and her brief acting background than on her ambitions. Mildly interesting but hardly insightful.
Posted 2:27, 30 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Sarah Erdreich
and edited by Brijit.
A self-described "alpha female," Zoe Cruz ascended from Morgan Stanley's trading floor to management's upper echelons, earning the sobriquet "Cruz Missile" for her unapologetically aggressive style. As heir apparent to CEO John Mack, Cruz was poised to make history as the first woman to head a Wall Street firm. Then, with the mortgage crisis looming, Mack fired her, citing subprime investment losses. Cruz's supporters say she was scapegoated, felled by the intense hatred reserved for powerful women. Hagan's article offers a gripping tale of corporate intrigue, and a sobering reminder that the glass ceiling still exists for women in the business world.
Posted 12:10, 30 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Bonnie Walker
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
John Heilemann, 5 May 2008
Heilemann gives a somewhat schizophrenic analysis of the latest phase of Barack Obama's presidential campaign in the wake of his loss in Pennsylvania. Heilemann first asserts that the loss has changed little in the run-up to the Democratic convention, with Obama's lead in both superdelegate and popular vote counts essentially unchallenged. However, the bulk of the article is an examination of Obama's eroding support among demographics that Heilemann feels are necessary for a Democratic candidate to win convincingly if they are to carry the presidency. Ultimately, however, Heilemann admits uncertainty, and ends the article with a look back at JFK, whose bid succeeded despite little support among traditional kingmaker demographics.
Posted 10:18, 30 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Ty Bannerman
and edited by Brijit.
in New York
by
Adam Platt, 5 May 2008
Platt chronicles his experience defying death for the sake of decadence, traveling to Japan to sample Tiger fugu, the "filet mignon of blowfish." This particular species of fish is prized for its flavor as well as its concentration of lethal toxins, making Platt's meal potentially the most deadly in the world. While the subject matter is interesting, Platt's description of "the thrill-seeking gastronome's equivalent to scaling Mount Everest" runs a bit long, as he provides an extremely thorough description of the toxic fish's affects as well as the multiple-course meal he partakes in.
Posted 9:22, 30 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Brian Willett
and edited by Brijit.