The New Yorker is finding its way out of its home metropolis with a visit to UW-Madison. The magazine is stepping out as part of its college tour for three days of conversation, panels and entertainment.
For James Baughman, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, The New Yorker is the magazine that should be required reading for undergraduates.
\You need to commit to a magazine,"" he said. ""I would recommend The New Yorker.""
At noon Wednesday at the Fredric March Play Circle, Baughman will be moderating a discussion with film writer David Benby, television writer Nancy Franklin and pop-music writer Sasha Frere-Jones. The panel will bring the writers to students, letting them ask about everything from examining pop culture to why Franklin didn't make the cut for ""America's Next Top Model,"" which she writes about in this week's edition.
For Baughman, a New Yorker reader since he was in high school, the panel lets him join the students in admiration of the critics.
""Maybe I should be intimidated, but I'm going to approach it as a fan,"" he said.
According to Rhonda Sherman, director of the The New Yorker College Tour, it's a chance to present the magazine to an audience outside New York City. She said it will bring the magazine to its readers instead of having its readers come to it. She said The New Yorker Festival, which draws readers to New York City in the fall, attracts people from 43 states.
Referring to the readers, she said, ""We wanted to go out there and bring [the magazine] to them.""
To find audiences that would be most receptive to the magazine, the staff looked to college towns. Already The New Yorker College Tour went through the University of Michigan, Georgetown University and the University of Texas at Austin. UW-Madison is the next stop on the line-up, which will also include the University of Iowa and the University of Washington at Seattle.
Sherman said Madison fits the ideal profile for a stop of the tour, with 4,000 people in and around the city who read the magazine. Also, she said, Madison has very good English, creative writing and journalism departments. With Madison, the magazine is in the Midwest for the second time, and Iowa makes it three stops in the region.
""The Midwest has been a happenin' place for The New Yorker,"" Sherman said.
The New Yorker College Tour passed up Ivy League schools and is concentrating on state institutions.
""State schools seemed like the right way to go to us,"" she said. ""It didn't seem necessary to go to small, private schools during the first time around.""
Sherman said The New Yorker works with the participating schools to determine the best guests. For today's fiction presentation at noon in Tripp Commons, Lorrie Moore, professor of English at UW-Madison, suggested Aleksander Hemon and George Saunders.
""We don't just package this thing and send it out,"" she said. ""It's individually done for each campus.""
For Andy Borowitz, a New Yorker humor writer and CNN commentator, the tour gives him a chance to take his standup comedy to the campuses. He has been the poster child for the tour with his perfect attendance at tour events.
""I've gone to every single place they told me to go,"" he said. ""I've been very obedient.""
At noon Thursday, Borowitz will bring his humor to the Fredric March Play Circle before taking the stage with They Might Be Giants at 9 p.m. at Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave. His first event is free, and his show with the band is five dollars for students.
As a humor writer, Borowitz looks forward to coming to the town that spawned the Onion. He said his work, which is available at www.borowitzreport.com, complements what the Onion does.
""I feel like I'm an exchange student,"" he said. ""That's the only way to look at it.""
As for writing for The New Yorker, Borowitz praised both the standards of the magazine and the niche it fills.
""It's wonderful, because there are really very few magazines in the country that will publish things The New Yorker will, especially in my area of prose humor,"" he said.
Borowitz was also humble about his contributions to the magazine.It really is a who's-who list of powerhouse literary figures, drawing works from F. Scott Fitzgerald to John Updike.
""You always feel like you don't deserve to be there and you've sneaked in somehow,"" Borowitz said. ""When you look at who's been published in The New Yorker, it's kind of an intimidating roster.""
Though Borowitz winds down the tour on Thursday, today offers ""Million Dollar Baby"" screenwriter Paul Haggis and David Denby at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St. at 8 p.m. and staff writer Malcolm Gladwell at the Great Hall Wednesday in Memorial Union at 7:30 p.m. Both events are five dollars for students.
For a complete list of events, visit www.newyorkercollegetour.com.
