Intelligent Life and the Essay

It has always depressed me that so few British magazines are willing to devote adequate space to thought-provoking essays. Have we only the staying power for the page length articles of the New Statesman or The Spectator? There’s a place for persuasive, succinct journalism – it would be tiresome to see every debate from every side – but isn’t that why our newspapers have Comment pages?

I must have scoffed when I first saw a copy of Intelligent Life, a self-styled ‘lifestyle and culture’ magazine. It's not only the preposterous, presumptuous name, but the word ‘lifestyle’ conjures unfortunate comparisons with Monocle and the Financial Times’ glossily crass supplement, How to Spend It. Magazines are odd place to look for advice on how to live.

Anyway, I don't remember how I first came by a copy — most likely in a bout of departure lounge profligacy — but I’m glad I did. The latest edition includes an article by Bryan Appleyard on Andy Warhol. Did you know that the auction record for a Titian, an artist widely regarded as the greatest painter of them all, is $16.9m, whereas a Warhol print will routinely sell for five times that? When you next see a Warhol, any Warhol, ask yourself if it’s worth so much more than this.