Comments on: Wholphin, Eggers and Why I Can’t Believe

By: Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:53:53 +0000

The hardest thing about journalism is the goal of letting its readers believes what it says. Well if it’s a showbiz magazine, it can be easier but if it’s something unusual and extraordinary the writers should exert twice its usual effort in making it more believable.

But you know what? With this review, it made me decide to check out the mag and see for myself its readership quality.

John

By: A.G. Pasquella

A.G. Pasquella — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 21:50:29 +0000

Hi Edward:

I just now came across your blog via a google search and was horrified to see that you are accusing me of racism against Turkish people. I assure you, nothing could be farther from the truth. This seems to be a simple misunderstanding that hopefully I can set to rest.

Here is the line you quote, followed by the next two lines:

Ihsan: Where did you hide my water pipe? I left it right there on the dresser!
Meneks(sh)e: I traded it to a gypsy for a pound of tobacco. Enjoy!
Ihsan: How can I smoke with no pipe?

You see, some Turkish people– and many other people– do smoke tobacco using water pipes. Nothing racist about that.

Having Meneks(sh)e trade Ihsan’s pipe for tobacco (which Ihsan, having no pipe, is then unable to smoke) is a reference to O.Henry’s classic story ‘Gift of The Magi’. It has nothing to do with Turks being ‘bonged-out scatterbrains.’ Perhaps you were confused by the different cultural uses of water pipes, or perhaps you confused yourself by taking my original line out of context.

Being called ‘uncreative’ I can live with. You can’t please all the people all the time and all that. But when someone mistakenly accuses me of writing racist lines I feel I must swoop in and set the record straight.

By: s prendergast

s prendergast — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 23:29:11 +0000

how right, how right. A paper thin premise, a snail’s pace, a worn out welcome. How can I ever make it up to you? Can I send you a check?
s

By: Tyler Zander

Tyler Zander — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 06:46:32 +0000

Impressive post. I remember paging through Curtis White's book a while back and seeing in the conlcusion that he described Eggers and what he called the MacSweeney's [sic] set as being a legitimate alternative to the Middle Mind. That typo(?) alone probably nullifies such a statement, though I have to say that I still hold out a fair amount of hope for an Eggers-run enterprise and can routinely find enough in any given Believer issue to occupy me for about 30 minutes or more while paging through it at the bookstore.

By: May Barber

May Barber — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:24:42 +0000

Yes, it’s very helpful to have someone telling me what to think about Eggers et al. telling me what to think.

P.S. It’s Vendela Vida as in La Vida Loca. Ole!

By: Lauren Cerand

Lauren Cerand — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:41:56 +0000

Thank you for the detailed critique — I’ve been curious (and skeptical) about Wholphin and so this has made for quite an intriguing read…