About Town (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Ben Yagoda
- First Published: 2000
- Type of Work: Literary history and media
- Time of Work: 1925-2000
- Setting: 25 West 45th Street and 25 West 43rd Street, New York City
- Principal Characters: Harold Ross, William Shawn, E. B. White, Katharine Angell White, James Thurber, Pauline Kael, William Maxwell
- Genres: Criticism, Nonfiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, New York, Journalism or journalists, Twentieth century, Literature, 1940’s, 1920’s, 1930’s, 1980’s, Publishing or publishers, Mass media, 1990’s
- Locales: New York, NY
On February 21, 1925, a new magazine made its debut. Edited by Harold Ross, financed by Raoul Fleischman (heir to General Baking Company money), and named by John Peter Toohey, a specialist in public relations, the fledgling publication was designed to reflect contemporary urban America. According to the prospectus circulated by Ross in late 1924, “Its general tenor will be one of gaiety, wit and satire, but it will be more than a jester. It will not be what is commonly called highbrow or radical. It will be what is commonly called sophisticated. . . .”
The New Yorker...
[The entire page is 2210 words long]

