CAST OF CHARACTERS Wolcott Gibbs, E. B. White, James Thurber, and the Golden Age of the New Yorker

This graceful group memoir of the eccentrics and geniuses who created the NEW YORKER magazine will charm anyone who cares about the lives and times of the likes of E.B. White, Wolcott Gibbs, James Thurber, and John O'Hara. Or about Harold Ross himself, the magazine's feud with Henry Luce, and the evolution of the magazine so many have found indispensable. The material is entertaining, and, amazingly, much of it will be fresh, even to die-hard fans. Regrettably, this production is far from impeccable; Ross would have returned it marked "Fix." There are misreadings ("On first looking into Chapman's Honor"?) and mispronunciations (Wanger, Cerf, and many more), but Tony Pasqualini's apparent affection for the material and his enthusiasm and pacing make this a delightful listen anyway. B.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2016]