The New Yorker (nerd)

at the risk of sounding a nerd, a risk i'm willing to take, because, if i recall correctly, i've already sounded a nerd plenty before, (isn't that the longest introduction to a sentence/thought, EVER?), i'm going to admit that i rather super really enjoy listening to free podcasts from The New Yorker.

when i was in AP english language junior year of high school, our english teacher repeatedly told us to read the new yorker because it provided such great examples of fine english language use. i never acted on his advice because after perusing through a new yorker at the bookstore once, i found it quite boring. there weren't nearly enough pictures or giant easy to read/understand headlines to catch my eye.

but after receiving a gift subscription to a magazine of my choice (xmas senior year) i decided to go with the new yorker (a friend suggested it also). after other subscriptions to marie claire, cosmo, and vanity fair earlier in college, this was an interesting and welcome change. (except vanity fair actually produces some good political and other journalistic pieces).

it took me a few issues before i actually picked one up and read it. and i found that i quite loved it!!! the topics were always so random and the stories were so varied, i enjoyed the random bits of knowledge so much.

in korea i've taken to downloading two different portions of the new yorker. the "comment" piece and the "fiction" piece. i enjoy both. but i'm not going to lie, i LOVE LOVE LOVE the fiction pieces. they only come out with about one a month as opposed to the comment once a week so i save them. i actually ration out when i can listen to a NEW fiction piece. i like to save them for bus rides, but i'll also make sure the bus ride is WORTH a fiction piece.

i've only learned to really appreciate short stories in the past few years. before that i thought novels were the only literary formats worth my time and trouble. but short stories are SO amazing. they pack SO MUCH punch into such a little package. they're so concise, and yet convey SO much. there's so MUCH in the language, each WORD tells a story. it's AMAZING what a well-written short story can do. (it's replaced poems as my most admired literary format). (and that's a LOT because i LOVE how beautiful and well-crafted poems are/have to be). (i will probably dedicate a future entry SOLELY to short stories and the magic they weave).

also, does it mean that i don't watch AC360 for the news, if i get really disappointed when someone else fills in for him and makes me want to turn it off and stop watching at that point? the only exception is erica hill who is so cute and spunky and witty/smart, that i actually look forward to her news and business bulletin on AC360, the only news i watch in addition to the daily show.