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Zoë Heller and James Wolcott

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from: Zoë Heller

Self-Promoting Punditry: A Special Tier of Hell

Posted Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001, at 11:30 AM ET

Dear Jim-Bob,

You say your panel discussion was your first chance to chat with Camille Paglia. But didn't you write about her in Vanity Fair? Or am I imagining that? I interviewed her years ago for the Independent (U.K.), and I've always had an affectionate regard for her stuff. But in recent years, her contrarian positions have struck me as a bit phony and for effect. Her line on The Sopranos is a case in point. The critical consensus is very much pro. Therefore, Camille must play the sulky teen-ager and insist that it's anti-Italian crapola. (I hereby declare an interest: The man I live with writes for the show.) What, by the way, was the gist of your contribution to this discussion?

My comments about TV appearances were referring to general MSNBC-style punditry. Appearances to promote one's own work--they occupy their own special tier of hell. I am impressed by how calmly--not to say breezily--you seem to have coped with the author tour business. No anomie in Ohio? No late night drug binges in Biloxi?

Speaking of Charlie Rose, did you happen to see Harold Pinter on with him a few weeks ago? Yikes. It was the very worst sort of self-regarding, knee-jerk bien-pensant ery. I was reminded of why I moved to America.

Zoë

the breakfast table
entries
12345678910111213141516171819
from: Zoë Heller

Self-Promoting Punditry: A Special Tier of Hell

Posted Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001, at 11:30 AM ET
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Zoë Heller is a columnist for the London Daily Telegraph and author of the novel Everything You Know. James Wolcott is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and author of the novel The Catsitters.
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