New Haven Independent

Posted by: Ned | August 10, 2007 8:35 AM

It seems more like a Yale event rather than an event featuring local, that is, not Yale dominated or affiliated talent...

Posted by: Daniel Sumrall | August 10, 2007 9:04 AM

Not only is this great for our city adding another voice to our arts community (one that is explicitly literate) but also the New Haven Review of Books creates a venue for real comment and discussion about literature.

Too often, the literary world is one for the academic or the academic-in-training, which makes it difficult for the average literate citizen to find an outlet to encounter legitimate criticism. I hope the New Haven Review of Books becomes something like the Minneapolis/St. Paul free literary quarterly Rain Taxi and doesn't fall prey to the tendency of local reviews to become glorified "'zines."

No matter what, I'm excited and eager to read more. Keep up the good work!

Posted by: jackparis | August 10, 2007 10:23 AM

Picked up a copy while passing through yesterday. Plenty of strong voices and great writing, it's just a shame that the $2000 budget didn't cover design costs. It might have made the difference between what seems -- from the outside, at least -- like a low-key project for a literary circle of friends and a publication that aspires to being enjoyed by as wide a readership as possible. Given the quality of what's behind the uninspiring cover, it should. That being said, kudos to the editors for gathering so much talent into one venue.

Posted by: delegate | August 10, 2007 1:04 PM

Of course there are Yale affiliated people involved in this; this is New Haven for crying out loud. But unlike some Yalies, these folks are willling to share and that's a good thing because I just finished Appel's piece and some of this stuff is really good.

Posted by: Esbe | August 10, 2007 3:11 PM

I haven't read the whole thing, but so far it is great. I hope that Mark Oppenheimer can keep this alive into the future, at least online (with maybe promotional help from the Independent, his Huffingtonpost blog and so forth.)

BTW, is this really a "Yale" crowd? I guess "Yale affiliated" could mean a lot of things, but I would guess that the income of these writers is largely independent of Yale.

Posted by: king james v | August 10, 2007 3:55 PM

this heartwarming article inspired me to write my own poem.

"oh priveledged yalie, thank you for letting us know thy greatness,
for we who dwell in the city of elms are truly blessed by your presence,
only the earth we tread upon is beneath us, and your gift of verse we are not worthy,
because you are so gifted and righteous, your fair share of tax dollars we are not entitled to,
for it is our own faulst by birth and geography, that we have must be punished
and our streets, hospitals, emergency services are our gift to you and the thousands of illegals who bless with your presence."
i'll be signing copies of my work next week at mory's on york st., then junta on grand. no locals please.

This gathering of the "Advocate Ghosts" love fest isn't worthy of a paragraph. The Independent should not pander to "these" types.

Posted by: Esbe | August 10, 2007 4:48 PM

"Too Yalie"? OK, I know you guys hate everything, but can we please keep the discussion somewhere in the vicinity of the fact-based universe? I typed the first 8 named writers of the New Haven Review into the Yale directory and I got 7 "no result found" and 1 "lecturer" (not professor) in English. I would have kept going, but I'm not quite that bored.

Posted by: westvillecharlie | August 10, 2007 5:18 PM

I woldn't necessarily call it too "yalie" i'd say more like too "foofie" and self important.
Goglia and Oppenheimer drove the advocate right into dump and now they're poets. How splendid.
I am suprised that mr. bass, the greatest voice the new haven advocate ever had, doesnt' hate these two for what they did to a once great paper. Kudos for your ability to forgive paul, i myself have not found the desire or ability to do so. Perhaps the success of the independent has given you that ability. Please don't leave the NHI.