Comments on: Nat Hentoff Laid Off from Venerable Village Voice Newspaper

By: danofmass

danofmass — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:03:13 +0000

As a fellow alumnus (NU--'40E) I would like to know if Nat may be interested in writing about experiences in Japanese Prison Camps in the Philippines...or segments such as being rescued from behind the Japanese lines by our paratroopers, after three years of a wide variety of POW events from capture to living on starvation rations.

Contact with Nat by email or phone will be appreciated.

Daniel W. Miles, Brockton, MA, danofmass@aol.com or 508-583-3721

By: archangel

archangel — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:16:39 +0000

dear Ghost dreams, and many blessings in the new year to you also.

Your analyses of Mr. Hentoff's values is interesting to me, in part because I believe we are on the verge of realizing there are very few thinkers in this world who have a 'party line' they follow without thought. I do know that attempting to 'understand all sides' rather than hop on one side or the other only, can be a dangerous position to take... but I think the former is often enough, a better way through... and many realize that right/wrong may not be an endpoint, but only a gateway to 'what now?' "what will be mose useful and effective now?" This is just my own way of thinking to keep me, for the most part, out of the doubleplusgood thinking we are all pressured to take up. lol

As we, you and I and others, have noted many times in life, the fundamentalist viewpoint, the extreme-extreme viewpoint, whether in feminism, religion, politics, academia, law, etc... which may have been needed at one point for survival of life, over time can become thoughtless, rote, and institutional... too often leaving little room to include other viewpoints, but rather is quick and harsh in its condemnation and exclusion of non-conforming others.

There's a lot to recommend striving toward balanced views accompanied by non-mamby-pamby thought and action... all in one place. lol

Centered. And fierce.

As well as one can.

dr.e

By: archangel

archangel — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:05:15 +0000

dear Jilly, you're right. I read PW and Editor& Publisher, and Chron of Higher Ed updates most days to follow the industries I'm part of, and in some cases, the news media, including Gawker, have been leaked to before the 'fire-ees” in book publishing, at university, and in newspapers… have been notified. No longer human. Somehow, cyborgian.

dr.e

By: archangel

archangel — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:21 +0000

dear Dave… lol, you're right… i think 'venerable' of most newspapers that have managed through recession after recession, vastly changing tax structures, mountains of paperwork, and the egos of many critters, for 50 or more years. At Village Voice, nearly my sole reading has been for its early insights into music, it's in depth coverage of musicians who normally in payola times, as well as 'the color line' may not have ever been able to hold above the waterline. Same with Rolling Stone, I'd say 'venerable' now… their having survived the repeated swales… they are both 'old' institutions now, and served many who held similar viewpoints, I think. They may still, but in new configurations. I sense the days of going to a newstand or a B&N or a coffee shop india bookstore and seeing walls and walls of mags, may be a luxury of the past in the coming year. We'll see. I hope for the best; there are some newspapers and mags that seem replicative, but there are some that seem as rootstock.

dr.e

By: Ghostdreams

Ghostdreams — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:29:24 +0000

I cannot help but wonder if this has anything to do with Mr. Hentoff's slow move to the right of radical in his politics.
Not too long ago I read that after Nat came out as being “anti-abortion” (a few years ago) many people at Village Voice stopped speaking to him altogether.
Then there's his support of certain Bush policies ..
Whether one disagree's with another persons politics shouldn't result in a person losing their job…
(shaking head sadly)
I'm really not sure about this “brave new world” … I don't think I like what I'm seeing of it.
As a matter of fact, I think it's rather scary.

My two cents worth,
Ghosty

PS Regardless of all else, I wish yawl a HAPPY NEW YEARS, eh?

By: JillyDybka

JillyDybka — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:08:21 +0000

At least he didn't get fired via text message, which I have lately heard of happening.

By: Dave_Schuler

Dave_Schuler — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:45:19 +0000

Never thought I'd see the day—Nat Hentoff is practically synonymous with the Voice. Of course, I never thought I'd hear The Village Voice referred to as “venerable”, either.

By: LeatherPenguin » Unforgivable

LeatherPenguin » Unforgivable — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:00:50 +0000

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