The Misanthrope’s Corner

WRITERLY soul-searching has struck the Washington Post. Last month they had a huge Style piece called “Thinking Out Loud” in which print journalists debated the morality of going on television and hitting the lecture circuit.

Crossfire’s Michael Kinsley, justifying his decision to abandon writing for screaming, reflected that the essay is no longer “the real world” because “people make up their minds watching TV.” And besides, “I like the fame and fortune.” As for lecturing, “I didn’t do it for years, but it became more socially acceptable. Then I thought, no one seems to think there’s anything wrong with this… It’s amazingly lucrative.”

About the Author

Florence King

Florence King was a contributing editor of National Review.

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WRITERLY soul-searching has struck the Washington Post. Last month they had a huge Style piece called “Thinking Out Loud” in which print journalists debated the morality of going on television and hitting the lecture circuit.

Crossfire’s Michael Kinsley, justifying his decision to abandon writing for screaming, reflected that the essay is no longer “the real world” because “people make up their minds watching TV.” And besides, “I like the fame and fortune.” As for lecturing, “I didn’t do it for years, but it became more socially acceptable. Then I thought, no one seems to think there’s anything wrong with this… It’s amazingly lucrative.”