Esquire USA: Signs of a Recovery?

I've had quite a time taking shots at Esquire USA magazine since I started blogging -- my pissiest is probably this post. So it behooves me, I think, to be vocal when they're onto something.

First of all, Tom Junod redeems himself from this lamentable lapse into frivolity with this summary of What The Hell Just Happened. John H. Richardson's profile of Joe Biden is also worth reading.

And that's about it. I still think the entire editorial and writing staff should pick up a copy of Smiling Through The Apocalypse (A), head out into the Poconos and spend a weekend strategizing, "How could we do something like this today?" I'd also love to see the summer fiction issue reinstated, preferably with stories written by someone other than Stephen King. I like King's writing just fine, but I don't buy magazines for it. Regardless, the Feb/09 issue is still an improvement over the last few years.