thedrifter
11-02-07, 08:26 AM
A Gossip Columnist in Iraq
By: Ryan Burns '08
Posted: 11/1/07
PC The Cowl, RI
More than ever in today's mainstream media, entertainment and lifestyle news often dominate newscasts, magazines, or publications. Because of this, gossip columnists and anyone with a camera are desperately trying to find the juiciest story or the newest embarrassing picture of a celebrity who has fallen from grace. With this in mind, The New York Times editorial writer Nicholas Kulish has written Last One In, a novel about an unwilling war correspondent and his struggle for survival in a hostile environment.
Jimmy Stephens is a gossip columnist for The Daily Herald, a tabloid paper that is well-known for its celebrity and lifestyle coverage. Stephens is in the twilight of his '20s and lives life lavishly, enjoying all the perks of the entertainment industry. Things take a turn for the worse when he reports erroneously that an A-list celebrity is cheating on his wife. Lawsuits are filed and the editor of the Herald makes Stephens fill in for its injured war correspondent in Kuwait. Stephens reluctantly accepts, only to save his job.
He is quickly sent with a Marine unit, and the stark lifestyle differences come to light almost immediately. The Marines can see through Stephens' slick-talking persona and are able to poke a little fun at him along the way. They are Stephens' window into the nature of war, and serve as a beacon of camaraderie throughout the novel. It is amusing to hear Stephens' surroundings in a war zone, as sometimes he describes them in a way that reflects his previous gossip career. Throughout his stint with the Marines, Stephens experiences humor, fear, and loneliness told with great honesty by Kulish.
Kulish himself has worked with a Marine attack-helicopter squadron for The Wall Street Journal, and this has clearly given him an inside look into how life in the battlefield truly is. Great fiction can sometimes come from non-fiction and Kulish does a great job in crafting a captivating and interesting story from something that he has experienced firsthand. Scenes such as the Marines playing a trick on Stephens may have been in part truthful thanks to Kulish's experiences overseas. Another effective tool that Kulish uses is witty dialogue and commentary not only from the main character, but also from some supporting characters such as certain Marines and Woody, a reporter who seems to be way too upbeat. This puts the reader in Stephens' shoes, and makes him easy to relate to as his struggles, concerns, and difficulties are magnified.
I was relieved that this book was not merely a mouthpiece for Kulish's own opinion about this particular war, but rather an overview of some of war's absurdities in general. Stephens is frustrated when he and his squad are sent off to a location, and forced to wait for what seems to be an eternity until something happens. People generally think of war as rapid fast-paced combat, but Last One In slows it down and actually describes some men who are eager to fight. Stephens is left with the impression that war was not exactly what he thought it was.
I also enjoyed the satire in this novel as it seemed to take a few shots at tabloid papers such as The New York Post and the American need to read about celebrities and their lives. Last One In was an honest and well-written book told with a great deal of wit, common sense, and character development. Maybe reading this will change your opinion of not only the men and women of the military, but also the journalists who put their lives on the line in the pursuit of information to deliver back to the homeland.
Ellie
By: Ryan Burns '08
Posted: 11/1/07
PC The Cowl, RI
More than ever in today's mainstream media, entertainment and lifestyle news often dominate newscasts, magazines, or publications. Because of this, gossip columnists and anyone with a camera are desperately trying to find the juiciest story or the newest embarrassing picture of a celebrity who has fallen from grace. With this in mind, The New York Times editorial writer Nicholas Kulish has written Last One In, a novel about an unwilling war correspondent and his struggle for survival in a hostile environment.
Jimmy Stephens is a gossip columnist for The Daily Herald, a tabloid paper that is well-known for its celebrity and lifestyle coverage. Stephens is in the twilight of his '20s and lives life lavishly, enjoying all the perks of the entertainment industry. Things take a turn for the worse when he reports erroneously that an A-list celebrity is cheating on his wife. Lawsuits are filed and the editor of the Herald makes Stephens fill in for its injured war correspondent in Kuwait. Stephens reluctantly accepts, only to save his job.
He is quickly sent with a Marine unit, and the stark lifestyle differences come to light almost immediately. The Marines can see through Stephens' slick-talking persona and are able to poke a little fun at him along the way. They are Stephens' window into the nature of war, and serve as a beacon of camaraderie throughout the novel. It is amusing to hear Stephens' surroundings in a war zone, as sometimes he describes them in a way that reflects his previous gossip career. Throughout his stint with the Marines, Stephens experiences humor, fear, and loneliness told with great honesty by Kulish.
Kulish himself has worked with a Marine attack-helicopter squadron for The Wall Street Journal, and this has clearly given him an inside look into how life in the battlefield truly is. Great fiction can sometimes come from non-fiction and Kulish does a great job in crafting a captivating and interesting story from something that he has experienced firsthand. Scenes such as the Marines playing a trick on Stephens may have been in part truthful thanks to Kulish's experiences overseas. Another effective tool that Kulish uses is witty dialogue and commentary not only from the main character, but also from some supporting characters such as certain Marines and Woody, a reporter who seems to be way too upbeat. This puts the reader in Stephens' shoes, and makes him easy to relate to as his struggles, concerns, and difficulties are magnified.
I was relieved that this book was not merely a mouthpiece for Kulish's own opinion about this particular war, but rather an overview of some of war's absurdities in general. Stephens is frustrated when he and his squad are sent off to a location, and forced to wait for what seems to be an eternity until something happens. People generally think of war as rapid fast-paced combat, but Last One In slows it down and actually describes some men who are eager to fight. Stephens is left with the impression that war was not exactly what he thought it was.
I also enjoyed the satire in this novel as it seemed to take a few shots at tabloid papers such as The New York Post and the American need to read about celebrities and their lives. Last One In was an honest and well-written book told with a great deal of wit, common sense, and character development. Maybe reading this will change your opinion of not only the men and women of the military, but also the journalists who put their lives on the line in the pursuit of information to deliver back to the homeland.
Ellie