9.17.2006
again with the alain
I'm a big fan of the "Domains" feature in the New York Times magazine. Love looking at other people's homes, especially kitchens. But I was a little surprised when I came to the column in today's magazine, featuring the four-bedroom London Victorian of Alain de Botton. It seemed so, well, familiar, with the white paint and the bookshelves and the Wittgenstein-designed door handles.
That's 'cause I kind of already read it.
The piece that first came to mind appeared in one of the Times of London's weekend magazines this past August. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be online. But you can still find this August 23 piece from the London Independent. Sample de Botton quote from that article:
And from today's NYT piece:
Hungry for more? There's also this April story, also in the London Times, but this time listed under the rubric "Women," for some reason. All of the press is in support of his new book, which is about architecture. So I guess that makes it fair play. Don't be surprised, though, if you open your September issue of Cat Fancy and find a feature about de Botton's cat's Bauhaus-inspired scratching post. Consider yourself warned.
That's 'cause I kind of already read it.
The piece that first came to mind appeared in one of the Times of London's weekend magazines this past August. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be online. But you can still find this August 23 piece from the London Independent. Sample de Botton quote from that article:
"London doesn't really work like cities should. It is far too spread out, it is too big. It has become rather like Los Angeles, it doesn't have that tight city feel which is what makes cities attractive."
And from today's NYT piece:
"What he misses about abroad when home: The feeling of tightly packed urban life that you get in a place like Manhattan or central Paris. London is such a disappointing city. It is spread out and suburban, in many ways closer to L.A. than New York."
Hungry for more? There's also this April story, also in the London Times, but this time listed under the rubric "Women," for some reason. All of the press is in support of his new book, which is about architecture. So I guess that makes it fair play. Don't be surprised, though, if you open your September issue of Cat Fancy and find a feature about de Botton's cat's Bauhaus-inspired scratching post. Consider yourself warned.
