Count me among those who are saddened by the death of Tom Wolfe. Anyone who is of a certain age and who writes was influenced by Tom Wolfe. More than influenced, we thrilled to Wolfe's ability to open doors to a new prose style, a new way of writing, a new journalism.
If you did not know Wolfe's earlier essays, here's one of the best, about Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's. It's about the time that Leonard Bernstein and his wife hosted a party for the Black Panthers. It dates from 1970. I doubt that he could have written it today.
If you would like an overview of Wolfe's life and career, Michael Lewis wrote a wonderful profile in Vanity Fair. It's called: How Tom Wolfe Became... Tom Wolfe.
R.I.P.
Kandy-colored tangerine-flake streamline baby" --his first collection, blew my mind, not just for the dazzle but the sensibility behind it. That, Dideon's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" and Herr's "Dispatches." Seems like everything's been downhill since then, from mind-opening to the massive clank of minds closing.
ReplyDeleteRead the linked Michael Lewis article to the end. Lengthy but well worth it, especially the punch line at the end which had me LOL for half an hour. I wish I had the BALLS Wolfe had back then.
ReplyDeleteI first ran into him reading "Electric Cool Aid Acid Test". Didn't understand it for years, my fault not his.
ReplyDeleteJH