Winner of the 2005 George Polk Book Award Victor S. Navasky is the
renowned editor, writer, and educator who was at the helm of "The
Nation" for almost thirty years. "A Matter of Opinion, "a
scintillating reflection on his experiences, is an extraordinary
political document--and a passionately written, irresistibly
charming account of a great journalistic tradition. Victor S.
Navasky came to "The Nation" as editor in 1978, was made publisher
and general partner in 1995, and is now publisher emeritus. The
Delacorte Professor of Journalism at Columbia University and
Director of the George Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism, he
chairs the "Columbia Journalism Review." He was the founder,
editor, and publisher of "Monocle"," " an editor for the "New York
Times Magazine"," " and a columnist for the "New York Times Book
Review." The author of "Naming Names, "which won the National Book
Award in 1982, and "Kennedy Justice, " he lives in New York City.
Winner of the George Polk AwardWinner of the Anne M. Sperber Prize
How do we encourage and protect public discourse, so essential to
democracy? What function, if any, do journals of opinion--magazines
that critically assess the key issues of the day--perform in
helping ideas to flow freely and citizens to think for themselves?
These questions animate Victor S. Navasky's book, in which he
ranges over his own experiences as a journalist and editor in quest
of the answers. Navasky gravitated toward journalism when still in
college, and as a law student at Yale he founded the now-legendary
satirical magazine "Monocle." Freelance writing and other
journalistic work followed, including a stint at "The New York
Times Magazine" that Navasky describes in these pages. His amused
skepticism about the behavior of "mainstream media," about
journalists who strive for but cannot ever attain a purported ideal
of objectivity, has been in constant evidence throughout his long
career as a gadfly, critic, and commentator.
In 1978, when Navasky became editor of "The Nation," the celebrated
century-old journal of political opinion, he proudly confirmed his
intention to continue its critical assessments of the news, thereby
enriching our undernourished politics and culture. Navasky's shrewd
accounts of the eternal battles over money and editorial control,
over independence and market power, over responsibility and freedom
in the press, are enhanced by unforgettable anecdotes about the
brave and less brave, rich and poor, famous and little-known
figures in the business of publishing news--and opinions about
news. From I. F. Stone to Paul Newman, from Calvin Trillin to
Jurgen Habermas, from William Buckley to "Mother Jones"--here are
characters in a drama that engages us all. "Anybody who has ever
dreamed of starting a magazine, or worried that the country is
losing the ability to speak seriously to itself, should read "A
Matter of Opinion.""--Thomas Powers, "The New York Times Book
Review"
"[A] graceful mix of memoir and meditation on journals of opinion
and the stubborn enthusiasts who end up running them."--"Harper's
Magazine"
"'Journals of opinion are not by themselves going to save the
world, ' Navasky admits, but, in nearly three decades of running
"The Nation" and in four hundred-odd pages here, he remains a
tireless evangelist for the idea that the world as we know
it--liberal, democratic, and Enlightened--won't be saved without
them and the public discourse they foster. Opinion magazines
themselves, however, survive on the strength of their editors, or,
as Navasky points out, on the reach of their editors' Rolodexes,
and, luckily for "The Nation," Navasky knows almost everyone. The
front-room tour of his charmed rise from the Little Red School
House to the publisher's chair includes visits with Bob Guccione,
Paul Newman, and Jurgen Habermas. Along the way, Allen Ginsberg
sleeps on the floor, formerly blacklisted members of the Hollywood
Ten defame each other, and Norman Mailer claims he's never sold
out.""--The New Yorker" "This lively memoir recounts Mr. Navasky's
wonderful and often hilarious life as a journalistic
entrepreneur."--Seth Lipsky, "The ""New York Sun"
"In tracing the colorful path of his career . . . Navasky defends
the relevance of ideological magazines across the political
spectrum . . . Navasky brings a clear-eyed candor to discussing the
lengths to which his magazine has gone to maintain its
viability."--Romesh Ratnesar, "Time" "This has got to be the
kinkiest love story of our time--a man in love with a magazine, and
the two of them in love with a nation. What a menage! Untamed
passion, big money, adult language, breakups, rapprochements, and a
wonderful assortment of eccentric supporting character--it's all
here in Navasky's brave confession. But let the reader be warned:
this bizarre love story, though such wicked fun to read, puts our
deepest moral values on display."--E. L. Doctorow
"The autobiography of a great magazine by the person who has best
embodied it over the years. 'Wily' and 'parsimonious' are
adjectives often applied to Navasky; now we can add 'charming, '
'witty, ' and 'consistently entertaining.'"--Barbara Ehrenreich
"Navasky is an editor journalists would kill to work for if he
weren't so cheap. He listens. He laughs. He makes mistakes and
sometimes admits them. He is as generous as he is smart. In its
modest way, this wry page-turner reveals Navasky's importance in
our times."--Ken Auletta "There is no doubt: Victor Navasky is a
force for our time. This is a book for true enjoyment and
enlightenment."--John Kenneth Galbraith "Navasky is that most
valuable of journalists: the subversive patriot who lives his
country too much to see it become a plaything for plutocrats,
scalawags, and scoundrels; who loves justice too much to see it
betrayed by false prophets; and who loves his craft too much to see
it as anything but a calling. I cherish this account of his
adventures for reminding us why the journalism of opinion is the
heart and soul of democracy--as long as the last opinion is never
assumed to be the right one."--Bill Moyers "Part memoir and part
commentary on the state of opinion journals and American politics,
Navasky, publisher of "The Nation" and a journalism professor,
offers a scintillating look at his life and career. He recalls his
escapades at Yale Law School, where he started the satirical
magazine "Monocle," beginning his long and sometimes hilarious
efforts at providing lively commentary on national events and
staying afloat financially. He recalls his association with rising
young writers and commentators, including Calvin Trillin, Nora
Ephron, and Ralph Nader, and his experiences as a freelancer,
including work for "The New York Times." All he learned about the
magazine trade, harnessing literary talent, maintaining honest
debate about social issues, and keeping the bills paid proved
helpful when the chance came to own and operate "The Nation,"
America's oldest weekly magazine. He offers fascinating stories of
publishing giants and political personalities, including his
magazine opponent William F. Buckley. As the tren
General
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