Author Archives: Janet Steen

About Janet Steen

Janet Steen started on the editorial staff at Esquire, where she tweaked the prose of writers including Norman Mailer, Denis Johnson, and Mary Gaitskill. She went on to become the books editor at Time Out New York, an editor at Us Weekly, and the literary editor at Details. She has written for the New York Times, Interview, Details, Us Weekly, and Time Out New York. Her profile subjects include such widely varying personalities as Steve Martin, Barry White, Martin Amis, and Dennis Hopper. She edits books and is a co-founder of Editrixie.com, and lives in upstate N.Y.

The Gravity of the Situation

On returning astronauts, ghosts, headless worms, and the need to make our mark Continue reading

Posted in Memoir, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Beating a Manly Retreat

Sometimes a man needs an outbuilding. Continue reading

Posted in Popular Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Is the Personal Essay Hipper Than Thou?

The nonfiction trend goes on. Separating the bad from the good from the great is the tricky part. Continue reading

Posted in Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Foggiest Ideas

Sometimes too much information can lead to an existential crisis. Continue reading

Posted in Popular Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Best Author Profile You’ll Read This Week

Janet Steen talks about writers talking about themselves. Continue reading

Posted in Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Strangers on a Train

Janet Steen finds both irritation and beauty on an ordinary ride from New York. Continue reading

Posted in Memoir | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Love’s Folly

Janet Steen compares and contrasts Barry White and Alain de Botton on the maddening subject of love. Continue reading

Posted in The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment