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My parallel-universe undergraduate counterpart, Emily Gordon of the Cornell Daily Sun—whose career I'm watching closely, as I'm hoping to snag her for an unpaid internship as soon as she graduates—writes today about Tucker Max:
What do you think it would feel like to live like a college student for the rest of your life and make a decent salary off of it? Tucker Max, a popular blog-writer, “makes six figures a year doing nothing more than drinking and fucking and writing about it,” he said, and imparted his wisdom on how to achieve life goals to an over-flowing Kaufmann Auditorium Friday.
His visit came as part of the James Norris Oliphant Fellowship series sponsored by the Sigma Phi Society.
His first official public appearance, Max began his speech by clearing up the image some people have of him.
“Judging by most of the emails I get ... [people think] that I’d be out with a pitcher of Tucker Death Mix in one hand, a breathalyzer in the other, passed out on a table, vomiting on myself, screaming obscenities at fat girls. And I mean, I’ve had those nights ... but that’s just not who I am.”
Max confessed that he was not sure exactly what he wanted to talk about. However, he decided to address a common question he continuously faced from his fans: “How do I become you?” To this, he replied, “You cannot ever be me.” Clarifying, he said “really what you should take from my stories is that you should be inspired by my approach to life.”
Hooray for free speech! Gordon notes that "His 30-minute speech was followed by a question and answer session of equal length," which seems pleasantly suggestive under the circumstances.
Since even college newspapers are interactive now, the people are demanding to be heard:
I hope no one actually paid this guy to speak here. What a waste of time...
A parent reader
Parent, you are an idiot and clearly don't know of what you speak.
John Q. Cornell
About us
Hello! We're a small band of media enthusiasts, culture addicts, and journalists based in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Emdashes, formerly a New Yorker fan site, is our collection of conversations—mostly civilized—about magazines, movies, politics, design, punctuation, and other things that stir us.
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Tell me more
Dashes, some say, “are particularly useful in a sentence that is long and complex.” Emdashes—like an em dash itself—provides a thoughtful pause amid the hubbub.
Emdashes, founded in 2004, is written and drawn by Emily Gordon, Martin Schneider, Pollux, Jonathan Taylor, and Benjamin Chambers, as well as occasional guest contributors. All posts before October 2008 are by Emily Gordon.
The site was designed by House of Pretty with illustrations by Jesse R. Ewing.
Additional drawings are by Carolita Johnson and Pollux (author of our web comic, "The Wavy Rule"). The Emdashes pencil logo is by Jennifer Hadley, based on a 1943 Dorothy Gray ad.
Other writing by Emily Gordon
- Writing on theater: reviews (for Time Out Chicago; imperfect but workable search results)
- Profile: Valerie Casey, Designers Accord founder, is spearheading the design of sustainability (for SXSW World)
- Feature: Rea Irvin: visionary art director, bon vivant, New Yorker founding father (for Print)
- Slide show: the Coney Island Mermaid Parade (for NYCgo.com)
- Feature: Muslim immigration iconography in the Netherlands, and an interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali (for Print)
- Review: King's Gambit: A Son, a Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game by Paul Hoffman (for Newsday)
- Homage: Celebrating lindy-hop legend Frankie Manning (for NYCgo.com)
- Inquiry: Does a New Republic redesign mean a change of tune? (for Print)
- Interview: James Surowiecki on what's next for the wisdom of crowds (for Assignment Zero)
- Interviews: four up-and-coming designers under 30 (for Print)
- Profile: novelist and dance critic Laura Jacobs (for Newsday)
Blogroll highlights
- Box Office Boffo
- World of Pollux
- Jonathan Taylor
- Carolita Johnson
- Songs for blogroll lovers (more links)
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