The Devil Problem: And Other True Stories

Some readers might question why David Remnick revisited incidents that happened long time ago, but the book itself is still a wonderful read. The book tackled with several notable characters that mattered to the United States but for outsiders like myself, this book is a gem for providing me with backgrounds upon characters like Alger Hiss (one episode of "West Wing" dealt with the grand daughter of a dying man, based upon Alger Hiss' character who sought a pardon from the President before he passed away), George Stephanopoulos (who played a pivotal role in the Clinton's campaign & his head to head with Dick Morris (again, reminding us of "West Wing"), Marion Barry (the article questioned if segregation in the States is working better than integration, & relating that with the the recent Southern State of Mississipi debacle over retaining the Rebel Cross in its flag or not), Elaine Pagles (which brought to our attention the origin of Devil & questioned over the validity of Christianity in contemporary setting comparing it against Dead Sea Scroll), & so forth. For light-hearted moment, there were articles on Michael Jordan & Dennis Rodman (describing the icon that the initial has become, & the honesty of the latter populist who is enjoying the moment for who he is). Then, there were articles upon international characters such as Gerry Adams (which possibly hinted that a terrorist shall always remain a terrorist irrespective of the PR exercise to make him who he's not), the celebration of Kenzaburo Oe's works which were inspired by his undying devotion to his handicapped child, Hikari Oe, who himself was acclaimed as an accomplished musician). Writing is David Remnick's passion & journalism has been part of his life & he wouldn't let the chance slip by without writing of 3 distinctive news personalities such as Ben Bradlee (cliche of networking & manipulation thru media via influential people), Al Neuharth (of making every news positive reading by all people), Murray Kempton (of bringing dignity & integrity into the art of journalism). Needless to say, news is perishable. Today's news is history tomorrow & much of what's featured here are history now but it's good to read of the past so that we undertood more profoundly of what made USA today, & the celebration of the art of inquisitive journalism. Highly recommended.

An excellent collection of profiles. Even when the subject is not particularly interesting, reading about them is. Extremely well written and gives you both the big picture and the little picture.

David Remnick is definitely one of the most important non-fiction writers of our time. In this book, he shows the range of his powerful profile-writing. After reading each profile, you feel like you are now intimately acquianted with the person. Remnick goes beyond the superficial, relating the story behind each individual and the circumstances surrounding their claim to fame. This is a must-read for anyone who attempts to write profiles and biographies. It should also be a must-read for any reader out there.

The "general assigment" feature writer is becoming a lost art and title at most newspapers. Whether big-city newsrooms to rural dispatches, the tendency is to specialize or eliminate. Remnick takes us back, and show's us the way of the old masters in his recent compilation, "The Devil Problem." Most of the stories are from Esquire and the New Yorker, where he's now a staff writer. Remnick warmed up with a ten-year tenure at the Washington Post, where he covered Glasnost for the paper, converted his experiences into a book, "Lenin's Tomb," and won a Pulitzer for his efforts. Fellow New Yorker staffer Henry Louis Gates Jr. referred to him as "The Michael Jordan of Journalism.'". Others profiled in "The Devil Problem" range from Nobel Prize winners to retiring baseball players, from performance-art rebounder Dennis Rodman to the dashing IRA demagogue Gerry Adams. My favorites underlined that gamut: a profile on the waning career of Reggie Jackson, and a tale of avarice and academica re: a pair of Shakespeare scholars ---- one, an Oxford-educated professor and Hollywood TV producer, the other an aspiring doctoral student with bills to pay and, hence, pride to swallow. Perhaps the best piece is Remnick's portrait of legendary New York journalist Murray Kempton

This is a terrific book. I have appreciated Remnick's profiles in the NEW YORKER, but here, read one after another, they have a cumulative power. Remnick's prose is clear and graceful. He also achieves a feat rare in profile writing: He manages to let us know what he thinks without ever clouding the reader's ability to make his or her own judgments. Bravo!