some extra reading

New York University lost it's "Dream School" status earlier this year. To Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Pshaw. A New York City true-blood reported that she had no problem working on her doctorate because life at Princeton was so boring all there was to do was watch spiders cross the windowsill.

Things still happen at fourth-place schools, however. Thanks to a hefty tuition bill, a prime location, and great connections, my ninth--and hopefully final--alma mater is good at wrangling guest speakers. Some other journalism class got Gay Talese, but I'm not holding any grudges.

Earlier this week we heard from David Grann, a writer for The New Yorker who has a book coming out early next year. In preparation, may I recommend the following pieces as a brief sample of his work:

Giving 'The Devil' His Due--for those of us who need another reason to make our blood boil over U.S. relations in Haiti

The City That Fell In Love With the Mob--oh me oh my oh: look what went on in Ohio

My professor, who is a friend and colleague of Grann's, reports that Grann will frantically declare he doesn't know what to write about next, and then comes up with something like this: The Chameleon.