Ah yes, the week that Steve Jobs died. I remember I was working on a trial basis as a marketing director for Canadian-based tea retail company David's Tea. It was and still is an exciting concept and a brand that I really felt I could get behind. Unfortunately, its owners were crazy and let their inexperienced daughter run amok in the company, demoralizing everyone and putting the small startup's growth in jeopardy. I didn't join them permanently, and while things have improved there since, I'm glad. I don't think the year of personal growth and development that I've had since then would have been possible without it. At the time, Jobs' advice to "stay hungry" led me to pursue something else. Good advice, Steve.
Throughout the reading of this issue I found myself comparing my own abilities to other people's efforts and for once, perhaps conceitedly, thinking that I ain't so bad. I liked reading about "The Phantom Tollbooth," which I loved as a child and had completely forgotten about. I'll try to find it for my kids for Christmas. The article about life after Fukushima in Japan was fascinating - I loved visiting and working in Japan many years ago and would love to have the chance to go there again. The approach to life is just so different than ours.
The story about the making of the movie "John Carter," so full of hope about the film's potential, I read with a cruel feeling of Schadenfreude knowing what a dud it turned out to be. So even Hollywood's golden boys make mistakes, and costly ones. And the Eugene O'Neill play managed to be entertaining while convincing me that I myself might have been able to write something similar if given (or if I wanted to take) the opportunity. All in all, I felt quite upbeat after finishing the issue, despite the fact that I'm not gaining any ground whatsoever in this attempt to catch up on New Yorkers.
The highlight of this one for me was definitely David Sedaris. Not only am a I huge fan of his contributions at any time, but this one was especially amusing because I went to hear him read selections from his books sometime since this was published and I remembered him reading the story in his deadpan, hilarious way. I actually laughed out loud as I read it here. Also enjoyed the article about Jill Abramson at the New York Times - I love stories showcasing women who have achieved something notable, and I hope she has great things in store for that paper during these challenging times for the industry. And although it was heartbreaking, the article about premature babies was also fascinating. I always enjoy Jerome Groopman' contributions.