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Murphy and Steinfels

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from: Margaret Steinfels

In Search of Lost Headlines

Posted Monday, Feb. 15, 1999, at 11:36 AM ET

Very impressive outing you had for a Presidents' Day morning. The Protestant ethic must be alive and well in Boston. In the meantime, I am still cocooned, well, still reading the paper. I for one am delighted to see Madame Albright top and center in the New York Times. Yes, I think Kosovo would have been settled last November if it had had more air time. And maybe Northern Ireland wouldn't be in the peace process doldrums if we were paying more attention. Where is George Mitchell?

What else would I have liked to see this past year on the front page? Well, thinking about gloat time, how about this front-page headline: "Alice McDermott Beats Out Tom Wolfe for National Book Awards Fiction Prize"--and doesn't bore the audience with a speech. That would have warmed my heart.

Campaign finance? Social Security? Why do I think America's eyes would have glassed over. Would more coverage of more bad news from Thailand and Brazil have helped? Or made the crisis worse?

As for the weather, there is no more weather in New York. It has been banished. The greenhouse effect has made this a warmish and pleasant city. And since our garbage has done so much to contribute! What can I say? Our mayor has said it all.

No, scanning the might-have-been front pages, I am afraid The Scandal was destined to dominate. Think of it as an 18th century bawdy serial novel.

And you are optimistic to think it's over. Friday morning when I opened the door to get the Times, I was horrified to see Mrs. Tripp front and center. I couldn't believe it--for a nothing story, too. I fear that the subplots will be with us forever. And if the Times is addicted, you can imagine what Chris Matthews will be like. Still foaming at the mouth (in his friendly, charming way, of course).

But the big news this morning was buried in the business section. Did you catch it? Slate gives up its efforts to make readers pay for this. Well good news for Commonweal and the Atlantic, I suppose. More subscription money for us paper-and-ink-dependent little guys.

And speaking of God in Australia. Lent starts this week. Not exactly Ramadan, but still . . . Have you thought about it? Have you thought about giving up the news for Lent?

the breakfast table
entries
1234567891011121314151617
from: Margaret Steinfels

In Search of Lost Headlines

Posted Monday, Feb. 15, 1999, at 11:36 AM ET
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Cullen Murphy is the managing editor of the Atlantic Monthly and the author of the comic strip Prince Valiant. His book The Word According to Eve: Women and the Bible in Ancient Times and Our Own was published last fall. Margaret O'Brien Steinfels is the editor of Commonweal, an independent biweekly journal of political, religious, and literary opinion.
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