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IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair. We’ve hand-picked the week’s best reads for you to savour.
1. The Magicians’ Honour System
Chris Jones on the illusionist Teller’s quest to stop people copying tricks (Esquire).
There’s a small pedal tucked into its base. When Houdini pressed his bootheel against it, three sets of blades hidden in the cross’s arms sliced through the ropes that bound him. Those blades still work today. Teller has a supply of rope to prove it, because he likes people to believe him.
2. John Gotti Jr goes to Hollywood
Steve Fishman on the former Mafia heir’s attempt to take over Tinseltown (NYMag).
This turned out not to be quite so easy. With the help of his Hollywood muscle—that would be Stuttering John, Howard Stern’s sidekick, whom Fiore had once helped to produce a straight-to-DVD movie, his only credit—he managed to wangle a few meetings. “They were favors, and you could tell,” said Fiore. “As soon as you’re sitting down, you’re getting up.”
3. The Lie Factory
Jill Lepore on the anatomy of a modern political campaign, and where it came from (New Yorker).
They read each other’s mail. They swapped jobs every year: one year, Whitaker was president and Baxter vice-president; the next year, the reverse. They made heaps of money. For, say, a referendum campaign, they charged between twenty-five thousand and seventy-five thousand dollars.
4. Where is Cuba going?
John Jeremiah Sullivan visits his wife’s family on the island as it adjusts to the new reality after Fidel Castro (New York Times).
People walking by on the street didn’t seem as skinny. That was the most instantly perceptible difference, if you were seeing Raúl’s Cuba for the first time. They weren’t sickly looking before, but under Fidel you noticed more the way men’s shirts flapped about them and the knobbiness of women’s knees.
5. Who wants to be a billionaire?
Randall Stross goes inside a Silicon Valley startup as a small team tries to win investment (Vanity Fair).
The Kalvins have found their new idea. They call their start-up Ridejoy, after trying out Ridebank, Ridetastic, and Ridebee. Jason Shen introduces the idea. “We’re everything for rides. We want to change the way people travel by making it super-easy and fun to share rides with other people.”
6. The last place you ever live
John Fischer takes his parents to choose a retirement home (Guernica).
I realize the stupid, obvious thing I should’ve seen the moment our trip started: The purpose of these places with their beautiful vistas and their endless amenities is not to make my parents young again. It’s to make them comfortable being old.
… AND A CLASSIC READ FROM THE ARCHIVES…
In 2010, acclaimed novelist Margaret Atwood wrote for the New York Review of Books about her experience joining the Twittersphere.
I was told I needed “followers.” These were people who would sign on to receive my messages, or “tweets,” whatever those might turn out to be. I hummed a few bars from “Mockingbird Hill”—Tra-la-la, twittly-deedee—and sacrificed some of my hair at the crossroads.
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Well done Man!
Congratulations to you for overcoming your addiction. Best of luck for the future!
@Mary Ann Sweeney: you never overcome your addiction. You just learn ways, and use supports to keep it under control as best you can
Wisdom, Courage, Serenity
Very well done to that man. A fine achievement.
Well done James, it was great to see you on Tommy Tiernan Show,
It really goes to show the true potential in all of us even those struggling with addiction. Good man!!
Congratulations James,great news to start the day.
His interview was one of my favourite ever on the Tommy Tiernan show. Such an amazing achievement and so inspirational. I’m sure he has helped so many people but directly and indirectly with his story
Huge congratulations on such a wonderful achievement.
I’d advise everyone to go and find that interview and watch it. A modern day hero. Congratulations.
Good to see .
Well done to you
Well done !! nice to see someone turn things around for themselves! It took guts! bravo
Fair play to you, congratulations and well done.
Fair play to you man. That’s a real nice story to wake up to. Hopefully you can influence and inspire a few people to do the same. Hell maybe I’ll go back and study in September too. Criminology sounds quite interesting.
Tommy’s show is very good. He lets the guest explore their answers.
Well done you. Great achievement but even more impressive considering your past. Seen him on Tommy Tiernan a few weeks back. Nice story for a change.
Well done!
Nothing but respect for you!
Congratulations to you sir
You will be amazing at your new profession because your understanding of conditions and hopelessness.
Honestly, the Tommy Tiernan show alone is worth the license fee. Not a whole lot else is but that show is worth it.
A Role model Very well done and Super credit to the Two Garda who helped him in his hour of need
Well done. inspirational to anybody who wants to turn their lives around
What a great man.
Great to see! A positive story amongst murder articles and gangland crime. Anyone can turn their life around. Hope some ppl think before they label ppl going through addiction as vermin or irredeemable.
Good Man!!
A true inspirational story that I hope will lift the heart and soul of those at the bottom rung.. Never lose hope, goals & dreams
Councillor Anthony Flynn stated yesterday homelessness services in turmoil and there is a lack of empathy. This young man is but one of a long line of success story’s in the homelessness services and their positive work in changing lives needs to be recognized more often in my opinion .
Delighted for him fair play
Fantastic! And I bet he will use his experience and education to help others like him.
Respect.
Well done that man
Wow well done to you!!! Have a new life now…absolutely thrilled for you, nobody gets anywhere without hard work.
Absolute hero
Fair play to him, I’d imagine that addiction was rough n hard to get a grip
Well done.
Congratulations
Well done James Leonard…against the odds! You’re an inspiration and proof that addicts should never be written off – and former addicts should not be all labelled as brain-damaged from the effects. You also must possess a huge determination and self-belief to have kicked drugs out of your life. I wish you continued success and hope that your story can inspire others to find the strength and determination to turn their lives around.
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