So much of our work as journalists happens out on assignments or behind a desk. An evening together felt long overdue.
The Overlook’s readers, friends, and neighbors gathered at Bearsville Theater on Sept. 16, with music by the local legend Bruce Milner and a conversation with New Yorker writers Emily Nussbaum and Michael Schulman. Our reporters and photographers, and members of our board of directors were there. Neighbors met neighbors, and we got to spend time with the people who read what we publish each week.
I moderated the discussion, which covered the future of journalism, the art of writing profiles, the importance of robust local journalism, and an editorial debate over whether “assless chaps” was redundant. Yes, you read that right.
While finishing his profile of Bowen Yang, Michael found himself defending the phrase to a New Yorker fact-checker. Technically, the fact-checker pointed out, all chaps are assless. This is true. Nevertheless, Michael felt readers needed to know that Yang’s tuchus was indeed showing, so the adjective stayed.
Emily, the magazine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, who took over as theater critic this year, described the thoroughness of the magazine’s fact-checking department. For a profile of “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, fact-checkers wanted to speak with his parents and review records to verify a story he’d told her about his childhood. Even a subject’s own memories need checking.
The two were funny and frank about how fortunate they are to have such support. Emily spoke about the time, travel budgets, and legal resources that allow investigative reporters to spend months or years on a story.
There was room for teasing, too. When I brought up modern efforts at legacy newsrooms to build readers’ trust, Michael asked, “Do they do trust falls?” The room erupted in laughter.
Michael, who has a home nearby, also spoke as a local reader. He wanted to know how the planned Tinker Street roadwork would affect traffic, had been following our Levon Helm Studios coverage and of course the Mary Frank profile.
Neither guest pretended things were smooth sailing for the state of journalism in the country.
Emily spoke about watching newspapers disappear and about what’s lost when communities no longer have reliable reporting. Michael said helping build something locally was a reason to show up.
“I made a point personally to be here tonight because that’s what gives me hope,” he said.
Later, an audience member asked whether they had their childhood dream jobs. Michael had imagined a life in theater. Emily had studied poetry and entered journalism in her late 20s. Both spoke about how fortunate they felt to have the jobs they do now. Then Michael turned the question on me.
Yes, I told him. This is my dream job. Getting to know these towns, the people we write about, and the people who read us is a privilege. That evening, I had the pleasure of being in a room with many of them. There’s plenty of discouraging news about our profession. Looking around that room, I felt hopeful.
The fundraiser helps us keep doing our work and keep it free to read. We’re a nonprofit reader-supported newsroom. Thank you to Emily and Michael, to Bruce Milner, and to Pete Shapiro and the Bearsville Theater team for donating the space. Thank you to Jackie Kellachan and Lauren Johnston for helping bring the night together, and to Scott Widmeyer and The Overlook’s entire board of directors for the work they do to keep this newsroom going. And thank you to everyone who came out, bought a ticket or a book, and spent the evening with us.
We’d like to do it again. It was fun, and we need more fun.
Original photography by Michael Sofronski and Roy Gumpel/The Overlook.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
