I attended a Yale Pierson College Master’s Tea with the previous and reigning Playboy editors. Unfortunately, one of my life’s idols, the pimp of the universe (other than Jack Nicholson of course), the man who shares my HH initials, and, like me, prefers to dress exclusively in satin nightwear, Mr. Hugh Hefner, was not in attendance. Incidentally, I also share my initials with Humbert Humbert, of Nabokov’s Lolita—when my friend noted the connection, she interjected, “Not to say that I think you’re a pedophile,” though the HH legacy seems suspect).

The following are some notable tidbits of knowledge that the Playboy editors had to offer vis-à-vis journalism:

[On being a writer in the recession] “There’s no better time to want to make a life of writing, observing, and reporting, because things are so bad.”

[On libations] “A martini…hmmm, the birth and death of many a great idea.”

[On career networking] “When you go out into the world, it’s not who you know, it’s whom you know… Too bad it’s not what you know.”

[On working in publishing] “Go to India. There are lots of jobs there.”

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