Jay McInerney, one of the greatest literary poseurs in history, doesn’t have much use for Woody Allen. On his self important blog, McInerney has this to say about “Midnight in Paris”: “This past month, in an effort to feel less isolated from the world I watched not only the Super Bowl but also the Oscars, and I was appalled, though not necessarily surprised, that “Midnight in Paris” won best screenplay. Let me just cite one example of it’s cartoonish view of the great American Modernists: Fitzgerald has Jay Gatsby use the expression “old sport” as a way of pointing out that he’s kind of a clueless parvenu. When Woody Allen puts that phrase in Fitzgerald’s mouth he would seem to be suggesting the same about the author of The Great Gatsby. I don’t think that’s what he intends to do but if he does—f+++ him.”
McInerney, of course, wrote one hit novel, published during the early part of the Reagan Administration, called “Bright Lights, Big City” which essentially chronicled cocaine snorting. Since then, he’s authored about a half dozen terrible novels that didn’t sell and weren’t particularly admired. He’s a wine reviewer. In the same blog, he also writes about the hardships of living in Bridgehampton for January and February, in the mansion he shares with heiress wife Anne Hearst. It’s not to be believed. When he couldn’t take the torture of it anymore, he flew to Chicago to eat at Charlie Trotter’s, before it closed.
“They said it couldn’t be done—well, a few friends and blood relatives expressed skepticism about my intention to spend two monastic months writing in Bridgehampton. But until the last day of February I hadn’t once moved more than a few miles from my desk. Last Wednesday I finished off Chapter 21 before heading in to the city for Nicole and Kim’s anniversary dinner at Indochine*, which was a thorough re-immersion into the Manhattan high life. I then flew to Chicago to eat (twice) at Charlie Trotter’s before this great chef retires. Also eating one night at Ria, chef Danny Grant’s place, which recently got two stars from Michelin. And I even managed to eat at least one Chicago-style dog.”
McInerney may be less in touch with reality than Mitt Romney. I’m sure his next blog will be about the two of them enjoying a vintage Montrachet. In the meantime, one can only hope that Allen will mock McInerney’s criticism of “Midnight in Paris” in an upcoming film. McInerney may best be remembered in later years for the Allen comment and for having known Rielle Hunter, John Edwards’ babymama, in the 1980s.
http://jaymcinerney.com/blog/137/they-said-it-couldn-t-be-done
*Nicole and Kim–I think I figured this out — designer Nicole Miller and er husband Kim Taipale. McInerney is too cool to give last names. Thanks to Patrick McMulla
n’s photo page for that info. These other photos depict the type of brutality McInerney experienced during his solitude.
