The Man Glitterbombing New York Politics Corey Johnson wants to empower the City Council. With panache.
WE MET ONLY a few hours ago, and already New York City’s second-most-powerful politician has told me about the moment he learned he was HIV-positive, his former cocaine habit, his mother’s love life, his desire for a husband and kids, and how he barely gets laid. He has also invited me over to his tiny studio apartment so I can see precisely how small it is and presented me with a proposed theme for a potential 2021 mayoral run: “Stop Fucking With Us.”
The slogan is not exactly bumper-sticker-ready yet, but to even the casual observer, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson has glitter bombed the city’s staid political scene since assuming the post in January. Flip through social media, and it’s hard to miss videos of Johnson, 35, belting out Lady Gaga from the back seat of his government-supplied SUV, dancing along to “Country Bear Jamboree” at Disney World on a recent Florida vacation, or doing the morning weather on a local broadcast (“It may not be raining men, but there was a little precipitation this morning”).
And it’s true, Johnson’s apartment is so small that it can barely contain the Speaker himself. He wanted me to see it because when he first ran for City Council, in 2013, Johnson, who did community relations for a developer, was attacked as a tool of big real-estate interests. But at debates, he would answer the attacks by saying, “I live in a 319-square-foot apartment! If I am a real-estate developer, I am the least successful, poorest real-estate developer in New York. I would invite you all up, but I can only fit four of you at a time!”
Denne historien er fra April 16, 2018-utgaven av New York magazine.
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Denne historien er fra April 16, 2018-utgaven av New York magazine.
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A Wonk in Full- Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention.
Ezra Klein, glowed-up and post-coup, was almost a celebrity at the convention. Ezra Klein, who is known to keep his passions in check, did not have the right credentials to get into the arena. The Secret Service didn't recognize the New York Times' star "Opinion" writer and podcaster, but eventually he was able to figure out how to get in to where he belonged. This was, after all, as much his convention as any journalist's, since its high-energy optimism turned on the fact that President Joe Biden was no longer leading the ticket and, starting early this year, Klein had led the coup drumbeat.
The Afterlife of Donald Trump - The presidential hopeful contemplates his campaign, his formidable new opponent, and the miracle of his continued existence.
Donald Trump raised his right hand and grabbed hold of it. He bent it backward and forward. I asked if I could take a closer look. These days, the former president and current triple threat-convicted felon, Republican presidential nominee, and recent survivor of an assassination attempt-comes from a place of yes. He waved me over to where he sat on this August afternoon, in a low-to-the-ground chair upholstered in cream brocade fabric in the grand living room at Mar-a-Lago.
Danzy Senna Can't Stop Thinking in Black and White
Her latest novel holds diminishing returns.
Live, Laugh, Love
Dick jokes meet sentimentality in a wily Sandler-Safdie collab.
Tim Burton Is Great Again
A long-awaited sequel revels in gore and nostalgia.
In the Shack With Robert Caro
The Power Broker is turning 50. The final LBJ book is almostwell, he won't say exactly, but he's trying for 900 words a day.
24 Comedians You Should Know RIGHT NOW
THE COMEDY industry is undergoing a metamorphosis in 2024. Name-brand venues like the Second City and UCB are opening or reopening in New York, beloved local spots are being bought out by megacorporations, and streaming-service-helmed comedy festivals are usurping the old-fashioned ones. Post-WGA strike, TV-development execs are growing green-light-shy, Hulu is entering the stand-up fray, and YouTube specials are becoming just as worthy of watching as Netflix specials, if not more so.
Leading Lady
Anna Sawai could take home the Emmy for her performance in Shogun. But she's keeping her cool.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Le Même Veau
The Frenchette crew has taken over the 87-year-old restaurant, and the snails are as garlicky and the duck as pink as ever.
DESIGN HUNTING: A LOFT WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE
Ali Richmond, co-founder of the nonprofit Fashion for All Foundation, has lived in this Brooklyn loft for almost 20 years with his archive of designer clothing.
