Magazine Me X
There's a great profile piece on Harper's Lewis Lapham in SF Gate today. In it, Lapham chain smokes; groups himself with Gore Vidal and Noam Chomsky; laments the ever-increasing presence of corporate media; discusses the economics of magazines like Harper's, which depend on foundation and patron support; and takes a brief look at the role politics play in publishing.

Now, I love Harper's. Especially the Readings section, to which I used to contribute. But I hardly ever read Lapham's editorials. Similarly, I hardly ever read Doc Searls' Weblog despite his widespread popularity (Is there any other kind?). But knowing what I now know about Lapham's life and perspective -- and that this piece inspired Searls to renew to the magazine -- I'm going to read both in a slightly different light.