News from Elsewhere

There was an outpouring of commentary on the situation—the attack itself and the larger implications for journalists and satirists, in particular—and some of the best in English came from graphic journalist Joe Sacco, Jeremy Harding, the New Yorker‘s George Packer, and novelist Hari Kunzru. Both the Economist  and the New Yorker plan evocative covers next week and Charlie Hebdo itself will make a heroic return (though not with a cover that has been circulating—the satire gets meta as a French satirical television program covers the news). 

About a month ago, actor Griffin Dunn launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a documentary about his aunt, the writer Joan Didion. Two lucky backers who could throw $2500 to the production would be sent a pair of the legend’s very own sunglasses, which aside from her bird-like figure and, you know, all those books—may be her signature. This week the luxury fashion label Celine launched a new ad campaign with a now-trademark, black-and-white Juergen Teller photograph of Didion wearing a pair of Celine sunglasses that look as if they may eat her alive. And it might not be as surprising a choice by the fashion house as first appears. Didion has always been known for the effortless chic (also known as “simple”) that, despite astronomical prices, Celine embodies. It probably also resonates with Didion: there is a passage in The White Album in which she describes a packing list that she kept on the inside door of her closet. The list reads in full:

Homepage image by Andy Rain/EPA