# A Review of Talk by Someone Who Hasn't Read It

And now, a review of Tina Brown’s new magazine Talk by someone who
hasn’t read it:

The problem with Talk is that its binding sucks. It’s one big magazine,
larger than letter (or A4) size, and almost 250 pages long. But it’s
held together with _staples_. Staples! Staples are completely inadequate
for a magazine of this heft!

Most magazines do their utmost to stand tall and proud when displayed in
a magazine rack. But not Talk, no not Talk. Talk slouches, its back bent
and corners crumpled–a magazine that doesn’t want to be touched, let
alone read. I want a magazine that’s proud of its appearance, dammit,
not some lousy lay-about.

The New Yorker (Tina Brown’s last magazine) was a beautiful
thing–refined, elegant. I always laid it flat on a desk to read, and
turned the pages carefully, even though I was usually reading a library
copy. Talk, on the other hand, does nothing to inspire this sort of
respect.

And so I don’t buy it.