Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Michael Gross: His absent book and lapdog hacks

I interviewed Michael Gross the other week about Annette de la Renta's reported campaign against his book Rogue's Gallery - which guts the dubious history of the Metropolitan Museum - and you may be interested to know that the title is inexplicably absent from the online catalogue of the New York Public Library. "The library’s 2008 annual report lists an Anne E. de la Renta Cataloging Endowment Fund as part of a list of endowments that were started with a donation of at least $100,000," reports the New York Observer. Surely that can't explain the absence. Click here.

Michael gives a fascinating interview to Obsessedtv - see it here. He talks about his work methods, characters who fascinate him - eg Murdoch is now seeking respectability in his winter years after being the greatest rebel in newspapers - his career, ongoing project and his thoughts on journalists. Too many of them are "lapdogs who want to be invited back for lunch." Ah yes, the Nicholas Coleridge Syndrome we call it.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Could you explain what you mean by the Nicholas Coleridge syndrome?

Madame Arcati said...

Yes, dearie. It's the "lapdogs who want to be invited back for lunch" syndrome, as explained in the posting.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't make sense, sorry

Madame Arcati said...

Oh well, get some rest then. Spinach nourishes the brain I hear.

Anonymous said...

But who's giving the lunch?

Madame Arcati said...

No, you buy the spinach at your local food store. Get some Anadin while you're there. It may help you.

Anonymous said...

Is that what you call a lapdog lunch, spinach and Anadin? I think you've lost the plot - but what plot?

Madame Arcati said...

It's just your medical condition dearie. Finding it hard to remember what a bidet's for? It can happen to anyone of us. But for the grace of (the various) gods ....

Anonymous said...

I know what a bidet's for

Madame Arcati said...

Glad you're getting better. Just take it easy.

Anonymous said...

And there I was expecting loads of intelligent comments about Michael Gross, censorship and other serious matters. Instead a spat about lapdogs, spinach and bidets.

Anonymous said...

To a lapdog, this would be an intelligent conversation--food!--and such a person would prefer we do anything but discuss Gross's book. But Sunday's New York Times Book review is going to call Rogues' Gallery "a blockbuster exhibition of human achievements and flaws," so there will be lots to talk about.