Stephanie Lessing Meets the Superheroes

When Stephanie Lessing told me she’d gotten tickets to the Brooklyn Superhero Company’s fashion show benefit for 826NYC at Symphony Space, I said of course I wanted a full report, because who doesn’t believe in “supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write,” right? It’s a swell organization which can still use your donations or your volunteer work–and not just in New York, but in any of the five other cities where the organization has built learning centers. Here’s what Stephanie had to say about the evening:

The evening kicked off with a live performance by the Hungry March Band followed by a brief fashion statement by fashion designer extraordinaire Edna Mode–via satellite–who made it very clear that cloaks, capes and ponchos–even the seemingly bullet proof variety– were nothing more than the fuel for fantasy and that in order to be truly “in fashion” one must have a firm grip on reality–particularly in terms of what’s needed to fund upcoming projects at 826NYC–the five day a week program drop-in program in Park Slope, Brooklyn that offers free tutoring, field trips and writing workshops to children ages 6-18.

Before the fashion show got underway, Rob Cordry of The Daily Show did a reading of a story by Jonathan Goldstein about his experience dating Lois Lane just after she broke up with Superman and how he was sure they were going to get back together as well as the circumstances that lead him to expose his fear of their reunion to his good friend Clark Kent.

Next up was Hodgman who explained why invisibility was a far greater super hero power than the ability to fly and equated anyone who chose flying over invisibility with the type of person who, if they had only one wish, would undoubtedly choose a really big swimming pool. It was a lot funnier when he said it.

And then came the fashion show.

(more…)

21 October 2005 | guest authors |

It’s a Theory, Let’s Put It That Way

Earlier this week, I reported for Galleycat (and if you’re not reading that blog every morning, I wish you would!) on Philip Pullman’s harsh words for C.S. Lewis, whose Narnia series was condemned as “a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice.” Well, suggests Reason blogger Tim Cavanagh, when it comes to 20th-century British literature, “racism is a big part of what makes some writers good.”

21 October 2005 | theory |