Overheard today in the Style section of The Washington Post
- Editor: Do you have snark today?
- Reporter: I have a reserve of snark rivaling the Canadian oil sands.
- Editor: Good. I will be your Keystone Pipeline.
Meet the Style section’s youngest fan.
She reads the newspaper. Why don’t you?
Photo courtesy of the Nichols family
Former White House florist Nancy Clarke has died. Her Web site has a lovely gallery of her work for six American presidents.
gq:
The 50 Most Powerful People In Washington*
Every two years, GQ conducts a broad survey of power inside the Beltway, and this time around, the timing produced some unusual cross-currents: a Democrat in the White House, but largely thwarted by a single house of Congress; a presidential election in progress that tends to dislocate at least some of the “pulpit” power of Washington outward to whatever state is hosting the next primary. After countless phone calls, conversations, arguments, and coin-flipping, we come up with that top 3 up there. The full list of fifty is here. And for an explanation of why Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the House, is our pick for the most powerful person in DC right now—eleven spots higher than his boss John Boehner—here’s GQ correspondent Jason Zengerle:
The Republican whom Democrats—especially Obama—hate most. The Virginia Congressman masterminded, and then masterfully carried out, the GOP’s strategy of legislative intransigence that has stymied the White House these past three years. In the process, he imposed his will on all of Washington, refashioning the city into a hyperpartisan capital of gridlock. And if Obama’s a one-term president, it will be Cantor—as much as Newt or Mitt—who’ll deserve the credit/blame for knocking him out. “We have people who have great ideas but who can’t execute and we have people who know how to act but aren’t steeped in policy,” says Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan. “Eric has both of those talents, which is rare.” Widely presumed to be the next GOP Speaker of the House, the biggest question for Cantor is does he wait for John Boehner (#12) to step aside, or does he give him a shove?
* As ever, this list does not include people with the last name “Obama” or “Biden.” Tough luck, Jill.
If appearing on a list is considered an achievement, then congratulations to our own Ezra Klein and Capital Weather Gang. And here, from the archives, are Style section profiles of #3 David Plouffe, #17 Chuck Schumer, #42 Svetlana Legetic and #43 Marco Rubio.
"So you get tired of Christmas. You do not get tired of Christmas because of traffic jams, commercialism and family squabbles. Nor is tiresomeness caused by yuletide carols being sung by a fire and folks dressed up like Eskimos; the TV Christmas specials; the bathtub creches that are old tubs upended and half-buried in front lawns to form porcelain shrines; malls littered like bus stations, bus stations littered like malls; convenience store eggnog; bogus reports of epidemic suicide; cozy snow sprayed in the corners of store windows; and ubiquitous Santa Clauses. You get tired because of the obligation. We are obliged, however, to let nothing us dismay. Santa and Scrooge, go high, go low, beat you short, beat you deep."
— Henry Allen, in the Style section of Dec. 20, 1995.
In which Gene Weingarten authors the shortest appreciation ever to run in the Style section of The Washington Post
Christopher Hitchens ceases to be;
A remarkable life he led.
He isn’t in heaven; he isn’t in hell —
He is simply, emphatically, dead.
WAIT DON’T LEAVE FOR THE WEEKEND YET.
We forgot our Tumblr’s 1st birthday. It was Wednesday. To make amends, and to celebrate, we are eating a slice of red velvet cake and an M&M cookie in front of the Tumblr, which isn’t able to ingest food. Yet.
Please reply with your well wishes. Please ask us questions or comment on what you like about us (lite criticism also accepted) or what you’d like to see more of. Go here if you want to know more about Style in general, here if you want to follow us on the Facebook, and here and here if you want to follow us on the Twitter. And thank you to you, our brilliant followers and fellow Tumblrs.
Our favorite Tumblr post of the past 367 days?
Oprah eats Naomi Watts. You’re welcome.
Friday on the newsroom messaging system
- Monica: It tastes like alcoholic cake. I'm afraid of it.
- Dan: The best desserts are the scary ones.
- Monica: When we turn 40 we are going to have to find a way to turn this dessert-abetting into hand-slapping, or else we will be the fattest Style writers in history.
fieldofadventure asked: I love you Washington Post Style. Growing up you were the one section that made me want to read the newspaper. Thanks.
We love you too. And we’re glad you still read us, via Tumblr. There are other ways to love us, though. Here we are in PDFs. And online. And in print. And on Twitter. And on Facebook. And in the archives.
Love,
P.S. For those who don’t know what Style is, start here.
P.P.S. For those who don’t know us, start here.
This guy used to work in the Style section.
Photo by Bonnie Jo Mount (The Washington Post). Illustration by Washington Post Express.
