Veronica Geng
Encyclopedia
Veronica Geng was an American editor
and writer
.
She was born in Atlanta, Georgia
, was raised in Philadelphia, attended the University of Pennsylvania
, and died in New York City
of brain cancer.
She was an influential and acclaimed humorist and editor
who typically wrote short stories and essays, the best of which generated humor that worked on more than one level. The "Los Angeles Times" recently called her "a brilliant contributor to the New Yorker and the quirky dark lady of Manhattan's literary scene, celebrated for her deadpan essays and revolving-door sex life."
Her work included satire
and parody
with allusions to both high culture and popular culture. These short pieces were often inspired by some contemporary comment or event but moved beyond mere contemporary gags. Critics praised her parodies for their unusual coupling of subjects and control of style, e.g., the Watergate Tapes reviewed by a hip “Rolling Stone” critic, or a sitcom about the young Henry James. She appreciated similar humour, and wrote approving essays about Monty Python in “New Yorker”, 27 August, 1979 and “New Republic”, 23 April 1990
She was a book reviewer for “The New York Times” for many years starting in the early 1970s. She wrote for the “Village Voice” in the early 1970s. Geng’s short parody of the film critic Pauline Kael, published in “The New York Review of Books” in 1975, caught the eye of Roger Angell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker. She began writing for "The New Yorker" in 1976 and also became an assistant fiction editor. She worked closely with writers such as Philip Roth
, Frederick Barthelme
, Milan Kundera
, William Trevor
, James McCourt
, and Ian Frazier
. Geng remained at "The New Yorker" until 1992. She left because of disagreements with New Yorker editor Tina Brown
.
Geng was a film reviewer in the 1970s and 1980s for “Film Comment”, American Film”, “The New Yorker”, “Soho News”, “New Republic” and “The New York Review of Books”.
She wrote about feminist issues in “Women in Science Fiction”, Bookletter” 27 October 1975; “Requiem for the Women's Movement”, Harper’s, November 1976; and “Comment” on the Equal Rights Amendment, “New Yorker” 22 May, 1978.
Contributions to The New Yorker
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
She was born in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, was raised in Philadelphia, attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
of brain cancer.
She was an influential and acclaimed humorist and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
who typically wrote short stories and essays, the best of which generated humor that worked on more than one level. The "Los Angeles Times" recently called her "a brilliant contributor to the New Yorker and the quirky dark lady of Manhattan's literary scene, celebrated for her deadpan essays and revolving-door sex life."
Her work included satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
with allusions to both high culture and popular culture. These short pieces were often inspired by some contemporary comment or event but moved beyond mere contemporary gags. Critics praised her parodies for their unusual coupling of subjects and control of style, e.g., the Watergate Tapes reviewed by a hip “Rolling Stone” critic, or a sitcom about the young Henry James. She appreciated similar humour, and wrote approving essays about Monty Python in “New Yorker”, 27 August, 1979 and “New Republic”, 23 April 1990
She was a book reviewer for “The New York Times” for many years starting in the early 1970s. She wrote for the “Village Voice” in the early 1970s. Geng’s short parody of the film critic Pauline Kael, published in “The New York Review of Books” in 1975, caught the eye of Roger Angell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker. She began writing for "The New Yorker" in 1976 and also became an assistant fiction editor. She worked closely with writers such as Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
, Frederick Barthelme
Frederick Barthelme
Fredrick Barthelme is an American novelist and short story author, well known as one of the seminal writers of minimalist fiction...
, Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera , born 1 April 1929, is a writer of Czech origin who has lived in exile in France since 1975, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1981. He is best known as the author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, and The Joke. Kundera has written in...
, William Trevor
William Trevor
William Trevor, KBE is an Irish author and playwright. He is considered one of the elder statesman of the Irish literary world and widely regarded as the greatest contemporary writer of short stories in the English language....
, James McCourt
James McCourt
James McCourt is an English actor, singer, songwriter, radio DJ and television host. He has worked for BBC Radio Sheffield, been part of his own pop band and still writes songs for musical theatre shows....
, and Ian Frazier
Ian Frazier
Ian Frazier is an American writer and humorist. He is best known for his 1989 non-fiction history Great Plains, his acclaimed 2010 best-selling opus Travels in Siberia, and as a writer and humorist for The New Yorker....
. Geng remained at "The New Yorker" until 1992. She left because of disagreements with New Yorker editor Tina Brown
Tina Brown
Tina Brown, Lady Evans, CBE , is a journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author of The Diana Chronicles, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Born a British citizen, she took United States citizenship in 2005 after emigrating in 1984 to edit Vanity Fair...
.
Geng was a film reviewer in the 1970s and 1980s for “Film Comment”, American Film”, “The New Yorker”, “Soho News”, “New Republic” and “The New York Review of Books”.
She wrote about feminist issues in “Women in Science Fiction”, Bookletter” 27 October 1975; “Requiem for the Women's Movement”, Harper’s, November 1976; and “Comment” on the Equal Rights Amendment, “New Yorker” 22 May, 1978.
Contributions to The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
| Title | Department | Volume/Part | Date | Page(s) | Subject(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For Immediate Release (A Political Statement Hand-Distributed on the Sidewalk in Front of The Russian Tea Room) | 60/47 | 7 January 1985 | 22-23 | Humour |