The article recounts a young writer's unexpected invitation to meet William Shawn, the editor of The New Yorker, based on a parody from their college thesis. Despite feeling unworthy, this opportunity leads the author into the world of journalism. The writer reflects on the influential works and writers from the magazine's archives, particularly highlighting John Bainbridge's skill in capturing voices vividly through his profiles, demonstrating the profound legacy of storytelling and the craft of listening in journalism.
"Mr. Shawn had liked a lengthy Norman Mailer parody that I'd inserted into my college thesis, to pad it out; I'd shared it with someone who'd shared it with Shawn."
"Bainbridge, an assiduous listener who, according to his editor Gardner Botsford, could get the Sphinx to talk, had a pitch-perfect ear for dialogue."
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