Reading Journal

I think that profiles are my favorite to read and to write. The Frank Sinatra one especially but that is obvious! In my Non-Fiction we are working on profiles as well so right now i have been reading many different types and approaches to writing a successful profile on someone. The New Yorker of course does many profiles, but now magazines such as Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, and InStyle are also doing profile pieces featuring "celebrities" on the cover then profiling them over a number of pages. Except these profiles do not cover the history or background of the subject it is merely about the current project they have worked on. I found that reading a profile about someone when you do not know their background proves to be harder to follow. In InStyle this month there is a profile on Rachel McAdams. Although the pictures are lovely to look at, the clothes i envy, and she is gorgeous, reading just about her movie coming out didn't really strike me as interesting. Knowing about someone as a person before stardom however, does. A while ago Richard Pryor was profiled, the article called A Pryor Love. Not only did it dive into the tension and struggles Pryor has faced but it talked about his career, his family, his past, and his present. Really capturing Pryor all around made reading about him gripping and exciting. Profiles to me are the most captivating and important pieces because they are so personal and let you see a different side of someone.

New York Magazine does profiles as well, this past month there was one on Mark Ronson, a dj and producer. I didn't know much about him nor did i find myself particularly intrigued when i saw that he was the chosen person, however, when i was stuck on the subway with no reading material i decided to read about him. The author did an amazing job at capturing all sides of Mark Ronson. Not only in the music aspect but the business side of him and also the family side of him. I found that i was hoping i would not approach my stop until i finished reading!

I guess that is why i find profile pieces so fascinating. If the piece is written well and the person is relatively interesting or unusual it opens up different ideas and sides to understanding someone besides just reading facts and quotes.