Summary of "Celebrating the 100 Year History of 'The New Yorker'"

Podcast: All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Marshall Curry, Director of the Netflix documentary The New Yorker at 100
Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the centennial of The New Yorker magazine, exploring its profound influence on journalism, literature, art, and culture. Host Alison Stewart interviews Oscar-winning filmmaker Marshall Curry about his new documentary, The New Yorker at 100, discussing the magazine’s evolution, pivotal historical moments, enduring humor, legendary contributors, and enduring controversies. The episode features lively listener call-ins sharing personal memories, favorite articles, and iconic cartoons, adding texture to the discussion of what makes The New Yorker an American cultural touchstone.

Main Themes & Key Discussion Points

1. The Challenge of Documenting a Century (03:01)

• Marshall Curry describes the daunting task of encapsulating “100 years of so many different kinds of writing, so many different... illustrations, cartoons, politics, culture... into a 90-minute movie.” He likens it to making a film about America itself.
• Curry’s guiding principle: choices that give a genuine sense of the institution’s richness, its evolution, and enduring relevance.

2. The Founding & Early Years (04:04)

• Curry shares surprise at the magazine’s origins: not, as expected, by an Ivy League elite, but by Harold Ross—a high school dropout from Colorado—and Jane Grant, his wife.
• The magazine began not as a pinnacle of literary seriousness, but as a comic weekly, almost failing until a hit “saucy tell-all” article catalyzed its appeal.

3. Humor and Irreverence in The New Yorker’s DNA (06:06)

• Enduring elements: a certain “sense of irreverence,” a “comic character” (Eustace Tilley) on the cover spoofing elites even in 1925, plus the ever-present cartoons and “Shouts and Murmurs” pieces.
• Even serious writing is tinged with a “funny, detached sense of humor about themselves and the magazine itself.”

4. Pivotal Moments & Social Impact (08:28)

• John Hersey’s "Hiroshima" (08:49): Stewart and Curry agree this article marks a watershed moment, transforming The New Yorker into a force in serious journalism, and influencing the style of narrative nonfiction:

  “It was so powerful that they decided to turn the entire magazine over to that one article… It marked a turning point both for the magazine…and for journalism in general.” (Curry, 09:10)

• James Baldwin’s “Letter from a Region in My Mind” (13:22): Highlighted as a vital piece that forced both the magazine and many of its readers to confront racism and made Baldwin a household name.

5. Diversity, Inclusion & Criticism (12:40)

• Curry addresses the magazine’s historical lack of diversity honestly, noting:

  "For much of its tenure it was a white magazine, written by white people for white people… it didn’t live up to the standards that it holds itself to today." (12:57)

• The magazine’s evolution is ongoing, with acknowledgment of progress and continued work to be done.

6. The Making of the Documentary & Access (15:47)

• Curry highlights his excitement about “being nosy” and observing the editorial process:
  • Visiting cartoon selection meetings.
  • Experiencing the newsroom on election night—an inside look at the tension and editorial preparation for possible outcomes (16:35).
  • Watching editor David Remnick weigh cover concepts, depending on who won the 2016 presidential election.

7. Editorial Voice and Magazine Identity (18:00)

• Discussion on whether The New Yorker is “for a certain type of person”:

  "If you ask David [Remnick], he would say we are a magazine for people who are curious about lots of different kinds of things...not trying to compete with TikTok and Twitter." (Curry, 18:13)

• The show grapples with the notion of elitism, landing on the idea that the magazine is for “anyone who is curious, who’s willing to engage with rich art, with complicated stories and nuance.” (19:18)

8. The Art and History of Cartoons (23:31)

• Cartoons are a core tradition dating to the start. The selection process is intense, with 1,500 submissions weekly narrowed down to about 15.

  "David flips through the 50 selected, and he has three baskets: yes, no, and maybe..." (Curry, 23:37)

• Listener stories reveal multi-generational affection and family rituals involving cartoons and covers.

9. Iconic Editorial Figures & the Role of Editors (29:26)

• The podcast traces the magazine's direction through the tenures of editors Harold Ross, William Shawn, Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, and David Remnick.
• Special attention to Tina Brown—her bold, youthful transformation of the magazine:

  "[She] was a 38-year-old comet...blasted into the magazine, decided to open the windows and let fresh air in...She wanted to make the sexy serious and the serious sexy." (Curry, 31:29)

10. Obsession and Craft (33:10)

• Curry emphasizes the culture of “obsession” among The New Yorker’s staff:

  "I remember when I first got there, at one point I wrote down a word and stuck it on my computer so that it would be my kind of North Star. That word was obsession...They have 27 fact checkers on staff who are obsessed with fact checking, they're obsessed with writing..." (33:10)

• The documentary captures the painstaking attention given to every article, cartoon, and cover.

Notable Listener Memories & Call-in Highlights

• Cartoonist Henry Martin's legacy (07:49): “Henry Martin’s cartoons…so creative and funny…and his daughter Ann Martin wrote all the Babysitter Club Books, which my daughter just loved…”
• John McPhee’s “Assembling California” (10:54): “It completely revolutionized everybody’s thinking on how the Earth’s crust was formed… The New Yorker changed everything.”
• Favorite cartoon, “How about never—is never good for you?” (29:17): A phrase that’s entered many listeners’ daily lexicon.
• Personal traditions: Listener Marie describes assembling custom “New Yorker” birthday issues for friends—a testament to the magazine’s intimacy with its audience (32:05).

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Trying to make a 90-minute movie about The New Yorker was like trying to make a 90-minute movie about America.” —Marshall Curry (03:22)
• “For much of its tenure it was a white magazine written by white people for white people...didn’t live up to the standards that it holds itself to today.” —Marshall Curry (12:57)
• “They want to explore complexity, even in politics. ...That’s part of the reason that the magazine’s so terrific...you can feel the writer.” —Marshall Curry (19:38)
• “Every word and every fact to be right...That word was obsession.” —Marshall Curry (33:10)
• “[Tina Brown] wanted to make the sexy serious and the serious sexy.” —Marshall Curry (31:35)

Memorable Moments & Anecdotes

• Behind-the-scenes: The office manager, Bruce, saved historical artifacts destined for the trash, preserved a “time capsule” VHS tour of the dusty, smoke-filled old New Yorker offices (25:49).
• Listener laughs: Family reunions featuring “the reading of the Ambien Cookbook”—a Shouts and Murmurs highlight (27:28).
• Cartoon selection drama—Yesses, Nos, and Maybes—revealing the careful curation behind every issue (23:37).

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Marshall Curry joins, shares his history with the magazine: 02:16
• Genesis and founding myths of The New Yorker: 04:04
• Listener call: Henry Martin and intergenerational influences: 07:46
• Hersey’s Hiroshima and shift to serious journalism: 08:49
• On the magazine’s changing inclusivity and Baldwin’s impact: 12:40
• Access and process in making the documentary, behind-the-scenes: 15:54
• Editorial philosophy and the question of elitism: 18:13
• Cartoon history and editorial selection process: 23:31
• Role of the editor-in-chief, focus on Tina Brown: 29:26
• Final thoughts: obsession as the magazine’s guiding ethos: 33:10

Tone & Style

The episode is lively, reflective, and conversational, balancing warmth and wit with honest introspection about the magazine’s complexities. Listeners’ calls offer a heartfelt chorus of nostalgia, humor, and reverence, matched by Curry’s thoughtful candor and Stewart’s enthusiastic engagement.

Conclusion

This episode serves as both a celebration and critical reflection on the last century of The New Yorker. Through in-depth conversation and listener stories, it captures the magazine's unique blend of literary seriousness, relentless curiosity, and self-aware humor—a legacy documented in Marshall Curry’s new film and lived week to week by generations of dedicated readers.