Highbrow Magazine - Highbrow Magazine writer Lee Polevoi https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/highbrow-magazine-writer-lee-polevoi en Meet the Staff at Highbrow Magazine: Q&A With Chief Book Critic Lee Polevoi https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1168-meet-staff-highbrow-magazine-qa-chief-book-critic-lee-polevoi <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 20:32</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/LeePolevoiPHOTO.JPG?itok=qx1cQcIv"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/LeePolevoiPHOTO.JPG?itok=qx1cQcIv" width="480" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> <strong>Lee Polevoi</strong>, <em>Highbrow Magazine’s</em> chief book critic, is a graduate of Amherst College and the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. He has received a Bread Loaf writing scholarship and a screenwriting fellowship sponsored by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg’s studio. He is the author of a novel, <em>The Moon in Deep Winter</em>, and is currently completing a new novel, <em>The Confessions of Gabriel Ash.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Q &amp; A With Lee:</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What inspired you to become a writer?</strong></p> <p> In high school, I wrote and circulated a newsletter commenting on politics and culture. The newsletter eventually came to the attention of the Dean of Admissions at Amherst, who invited me to apply. That’s when I knew I was onto something.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Who are a few of your favorite authors?</strong></p> <p> Denis Johnson, Robert Stone, John Banville, Peter Carey, Ted Mooney and (currently) Lorrie Moore, author of the excellent novel <em>A Gate at the Stairs.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/smalldenisjohnson.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 371px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What’s the worst job/assignment  you’ve ever had?</strong></p> <p> A year spent as a copywriter at a wildly dysfunctional boutique ad agency. One condition of employment: Mandatory karaoke at the annual retreat. The horror!</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Which is your favorite city in the U.S.?</strong></p> <p> For three years I lived in New Orleans, where for part of the time I worked as a zookeeper at the Audubon Park Zoo. This, combined with full-time residency in the French Quarter, offered valuable insights into alternate lifestyles I’ve never forgotten.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/smallneworleans%20%28justinsomniaorg%20wikipedia%29_0.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 265px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What’s your all-time favorite film?</strong></p> <p> Almost anything by the Coen brothers, but especially <em>No Country for Old Men</em>, a nearly flawless film (its lack of soundtrack being one of many virtues). Others: <em>Twelve Monkeys, The Lookout, Tell No One, Sexy Beast, Animal Kingdom, Michael Clayton.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Which newspapers/magazines/websites do you read regularly?</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em>New York Times, New Yorker, Slate, Daily Beast, Guardian, Literary Salon, Highbrow Magazine.</em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Would you rather become the next editor-in-chief of the <em>New Yorker</em> or replace Jon Stewart as host of the “Daily Show”?</strong></p> <p> Since the absurdity of real-life politics far outstrips what the imagination is capable of, I’d like to emulate Jon Stewart’s admirable track record in conjuring up laughter out of tears.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/smallJonStewart_0.jpg" style="width: 341px; height: 256px; " /></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>What are your favorite “highbrow” pastimes?</strong></p> <p> Taking a fat volume of mid-20<sup>th</sup> century European history to the beach—what my wife not-so-fondly calls my “Hitler books.”</p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Read a few of Lee's reviews below:</strong></em></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://highbrowmagazine.com/1076-author-thomas-mallon-revisits-watergate-scandal-his-new-novel">Author Thomas Mallon Revisits the Watergate Scandal in His New Novel</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://highbrowmagazine.com/author-alec-wilkinson-1019-explores-arctic-adventures">Author Alec Wilkinson Explores Arctic Adventures</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://highbrowmagazine.com/stalking-90graham-88greene">Stalking Graham Greene</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://highbrowmagazine.com/james-wolcott-lucks-out-big-apple">James Wolcott Lucks Out in the Big Apple</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: Denis Johnson book cover (Barnes and Noble); New Orleans (Justinsomnia.org and Wikipedia); Jon Stewart (Elke Sisco, Flickr).</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lee-polevoi" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Lee Polevoi</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/author-lee-polevoi" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">author Lee Polevoi</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/highbrow-magazine-writer-lee-polevoi" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Highbrow Magazine writer Lee Polevoi</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/highbrowmagazinecom" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">HighbrowMagazine.com</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/highbrow-magazine" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Highbrow Magazine</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/book-critics-us" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">book critics in the US</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Lee Polevoi</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 18 May 2012 00:32:07 +0000 tara 979 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/1168-meet-staff-highbrow-magazine-qa-chief-book-critic-lee-polevoi#comments