This week's <em>New Yorker</em>: Striking a sweet, subtle note

We've shoehorned our "sexy New Yorker" theme into a running joke whether or not it applies, but I will argue that this week more than any other (even that week with mound-love, priapism, and the dog and the tennis ball!) the New Yorker fits the bill. Why? Because sexy isn't just about heaving pecs or lurid innuendo or Malcolm Gladwell's hair; it's also about simple sweetness, small yet meaningful gestures, and moments of generosity. This week, it manages all three, from the bittersweet cover that captures what New Orleans was and is and remains to the single-themed Talks of the Town which address Katrina from a personal standpoint (Nicholas Lemann's essay addressing the question of NOLA's fate against the backdrop of his father, a born-and-bred New Orleans native who fled Hurricane Betsy when he was one and Katrina at eighty, is moving and persuasive). The issue's poems speak to water and loss, all by Martha Serpa, a Louisiana native, and even against what we can't help but know they are gentle and pretty (though not here: "Veins in the Gulf will swell, too, carrying grayed-out swirls -- ghosts -- to greed's unbroken refrain.") There's Remnick hating on Bush (what is sexier to the bluest of the blue staters?) and yes, even Gladwell. But what of course is sexiest -- and careful, here is where we wax a little misty -- is caring and generosity. So we're happy to (help) announce "Parting the Waters," the just-org'd New Yorker benefit for Katrina relief, scheduled for Saturday, September 24th smack dab in the middle of the New Yorker festival. The night will feature music and readings "inspired by the artistic culture of the Bayou" with Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Woody Allen, Buckwheat Zydeco, Little Queenie, and The Rebirth Brass Band, plus Kevin Kline, Toni Morrison and Richard Ford to read (which I guess means Woody Allen will be taking his trumpet act out of the Blue Note and into the wider world. Cool). They're still booking people, too. Tickets run $50, $100, and $250, and for those who think that pricey consider this: Cond&#233 Nast will match all funds raised by the event. Si, as if we needed a reason to find you even sexier. So, that's why we love our New Yorker this week. Even so, we've got more than enough love to go around so if you know of any media-related benefits coming up please send them in and we'll put together a round-up to fill your social calendar and empty your wallet. Full details plus a cartoon we like after the jump. THE NEW YORKER TO HOST BENEFIT FOR HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF LOU REED, ELVIS COSTELLO, WOODY ALLEN, BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO, LITTLE QUEENIE, THE REBIRTH BRASS BAND, TO PEFORM KEVIN KLINE, TONI MORRISON, RICHARD FORD TO READ The New Yorker will host 'Parting the Waters,' an evening of music and readings inspired by the artistic culture of the Bayou. The event will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2005, at Town Hall at 7:30 p.m., and will benefit relief efforts in the wake of hurricane Katrina. Â³Parting WatersÂ² will feature musical performances by Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Woody Allen, Buckwheat Zydeco, Little Queenie, The Rebirth Brass Band, and Mose Allison, and readings by actors Kevin Kline, and others, and authors Toni Morrison and Richard Ford. Additional readings and performances will be announced over the next week. Tickets to the event, which takes place during the weekend of the sixth annual New Yorker Festival, will cost $50, $100, and $250. Proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. CondÃ© Nast Publications will match all funds raised by the event. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 12th, at 9 a.m. E.S.T. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone, at 1-877-391-0545. Tickets will also be available at Town Hall.

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This week's New Yorker: Striking a sweet, subtle note

Rachel

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