A New Year's greeting from the editor
A New Year's greeting from the editor
For Salon to succeed, our stories not only have to be admired -- they must be debated. On the Internet, readers have become an essential part of the editorial process. It's your ongoing commentary and chatter in our Table Talk section that makes Salon not just a static product but a spirited publishing organism.
This issue of Salon contains several articles with conversation-sparking potential. In "Digital Wizard vs. Demon Hacker," Scott Rosenberg examines three new books on the fabled duel between Tsutomu Shimomura and Kevin Mitnick. Was Mitnick really guilty of a crime that "could have crippled the world," in the overheated ad copy promoting one book -- or far more pedestrian offenses?
In "The Talking Cure," Joan Walsh argues that years of corporate diversity training have produced only racial and sexual backlash.
In "Bringing the Media Gods Down to Earth," Jon Katz contends that America's political press corps has become so pompous and pampered that only radical reforms will put it in touch with reality.
And in "The Cabernet Grapes of Wrath Tour," Adam Block writes that Bruce Springsteen's folksy "Ghost of Tom Joad" persona is ludicrously at odds with the rock star's exalted status and the cozy lifestyles of his fans.
If none of these articles pushes your buttons, there's much more inside.
We realize that Table Talk has been pestered by technical bugs off and on. Our number one resolution this New Year is to make sure the section runs in a smooth, inviting fashion. In the meantime, thanks for making the effort to join the conversation. We hope you agree with us that the sparks and light in this special Salon room make it well worth it.
Happy New Year! Join the party.
--David Talbot
Return to the front page of SALON
