1.
“Power Issue” October 23–November 5
For New York’s “Power Issue”, the magazine ignored the standard set of billionaires and CEOs and profiled 49 under-the-radar machers who decide everything from the restaurants that get good cabbage to the comics who wind up on Netflix. Writer and editor Maximillian Potter praised the project as an “intuitively brilliant way to resuscitate & freshen the concept of a city mag ‘Power List’ that informs and is of use to readers.” Culture Type wrote, “For decades, the magazine has been assessing who wields power in the city and post-pandemic decided to approach the project from a different perspective.” Politico’s Jeff Coltin said that there were “names I knew, and a few I didn’t,” making the issue “a must read.” “I love this,” wrote commenter febbles_plinstone. “Especially the pap style photos.” Others replied, “Yes, the photos are fantastic! Would love to hear more about how they came to be,” and “I also want to hear the story behind the photos!! Were some staged and some pap shots? My husband and I disagree!” None of the shots were staged; in some cases, the subjects had an inkling that a photographer (Mark Peterson) lay in wait, but everyone was captured in some degree of surprise.
2.
“The Power To: Lead Your Former Boss’s Revenge Campaign”
As part of the special issue, Rebecca Traister wrote about Melissa DeRosa, a former top aide to Andrew Cuomo, and her memoir attacking the governor’s accusers. Slate’s Alex Sammon called the story “astounding: brave, thorough, devastating. Cuomo’s resignation kept New York Democrats from anything close to accountability, and now he’s back for the thing he loves more than anything, revenge. A must read to the end.” “This is one of the finest portraits of vengeful power politics I’ve ever read,” wrote @manvillemade. “To say Melissa DeRosa reminds me of Amalia Duarte would understate the case.” Many readers noted how DeRosa’s devotion to her former boss fell within a larger, more disturbing history. Monica Beard, a candidate for Delaware state representative, tweeted that the article was “really thoughtful about the role of women in politics upholding toxic norms,” and community activist Melanie D’Arrigo wrote, “In case you were wondering why women don’t come forward after being sexually assaulted and harassed by powerful men, I give you disgraced ex–NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and his vindictive group of sycophants.” Of DeRosa’s claim that Cuomo’s brutal reputation merely demonstrates his effectiveness as a leader, former New York Post reporter Sam Raskin said, “This often gets lost in discourse about Andrew Cuomo, but I suspect this ‘Machiavellian,’ take no prisoners, etc. shtick would have more legitimacy if there was more evidence he was in fact an effective governor with a lot of accomplishments.”
“Statement Fever”
The magazine’s “Intelligencer” section examined the Israel-Hamas conflict with Sam Adler-Bell writing about the disproportionate role that public pronouncements have played. Writer Claire Donato called it a “beautiful essay” on “linguistic custodianship, statementese, and courageous acts
of resistance,” and Matt McManus agreed that “feelings of powerlessness before the brutal material realities of war can induce us to fixate more on language and semantics as a substitute.” Journalist Hannah Gais wrote, “The idea that brands and institutions need to voice their opinions on any given societal conflict has always struck me as the most American thing in the worst way possible.” Corey Robin, a professor of political science at Brooklyn College, said it was an “excellent statement … against the making of statements. And yes, he acknowledges the irony of that.” But @rhymewithocean asked, “Did we really need another professional take-haver to tell us that effecting political change requires action beyond statements?” Chris Shenton had a different outlook: “I very much appreciate both the clarity with which @SamAdlerBell identifies where our politics careen toward consumption rather than lived action, and the care with which he offers a corrective.” Jesse Spafford added, “I think Sam is right that such statements reflect the powerlessness of the speakers to actually affect what’s happening on the ground. But I also don’t think this renders them useless. Rather, I think statements play an important role in building an ethical political culture … One can think of statements as a form of organizing.” Other readers expressed frustration with the coverage with Harold Aspis writing that it gave “cover to Hamas terrorists and downplayed the extent of Hamas’s barbarity.”
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