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Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
F Scott Fitzgerald's final bow: Lost Pat Hobby story ‘Double Time' published at last
For decades, it sat unnoticed in Princeton University's Fitzgerald Papers, a sheaf of untitled, unassuming pages, misfiled and forgotten. Now, more than 80 years after it was written, a long-lost story from F Scott Fitzgerald's Pat Hobby series has surfaced. Titled Double Time for Pat Hobby, it made its public debut this summer as part of The New Yorker's 2025 Flash Fiction series. The discovery feels laced with Fitzgeraldian irony: a half-forgotten story about a washed-up Hollywood hack, rescued from obscurity long after its creator's death. Written in 1940, just months before Fitzgerald's own curtain call, Double Time bears all the hallmarks of the Hobby stories: grim humor, showbiz sleaze, and faded glamour. The Pat Hobby stories, 17 in total, written during Fitzgerald's late, lean years in Hollywood, were his final sustained body of work. Once the golden boy of the Jazz Age, he had become a hired pen in an industry that barely tolerated him. Arnold Gingrich, his editor at Esquire, later recalled, Fitzgerald treated the Hobby stories as 'a collective entity,' obsessively rearranging them to suggest a loose continuity, writes Nasrullah Mambrol, the founder of But they were ultimately fragmented, episodic sketches, each tale resetting the clock on Pat's slow-motion downfall. Pat Hobby himself is a 49-year-old has-been, a studio-era barnacle clinging to a world that has moved on. He is lazy, bitter, conniving, and autobiographical. If Gatsby was the dreamer and Nick the observer, Pat is the survivor, trapped in a purgatory of bad scripts and worse luck. He does not chase green lights; he scams per diems. In Double Time, Pat lands not one gig but two, a fluke windfall that he juggles with all the grace of a con man on borrowed time. Thanks to a chance encounter at Santa Anita racetrack, he finds himself working (loosely defined) for two studios at once, bouncing between lots, dodging responsibility, and rationing his gin. The ruse falls apart in an ending that is farcical and fatalistic. He is undone not by his incompetence, but by a studio doctor who spots him through a hole in the wall. Fitzgerald famously wrote the Hobby stories for money. He sweated over every revision, telegramming edits even as his health declined and his debts mounted. The result is an uneven but fascinating body of work. Some stories read like polished vignettes, others like hurried sketches. Collectively, they signal a shift in Fitzgerald's style: more clipped, less lyrical, as if anticipating the cool realism of the postwar novel. For years, critics dismissed the Hobby tales as minor works, epilogues to a once-brilliant career. But that verdict is beginning to turn. Recent scholarship has begun to reevaluate them as satirical portraits of the Hollywood machine, or even experiments in self-erasure. Pat Hobby may be a loser, but he is also a survivor, a stand-in for the author who created him, doggedly rewriting his own decline. The credit for Double Time's resurrection goes to Anne Margaret Daniel, a literary scholar and longtime Fitzgerald excavator, who edited a collection of previously unpublished stories by Fitzgerald, I'd Die for You and Other Lost Stories (Scribner, 2017). The manuscript had been hiding in plain sight within the Fitzgerald archives at Princeton, where the author began his literary career as an undergraduate. He never graduated, distracted by writing, romance, and war, but Princeton remained an emotional anchor. That Double Time should reemerge here feels fitting. The university has been digitising its Fitzgerald holdings in recent years, including fragments such as the 'Ur-Gatsby' draft (discarded early version of The Great Gatsby) and the corrected Trimalchio galleys (original galley proofs of The Great Gatsby, which were initially titled Trimalchio). Now, Double Time, the missing piece of the Fitzgerald mosaic, joins the ranks. Double Time reads like a noir-tinged screwball comedy, full of misdirection. Pat Hobby is too delusional to be tragic and too pitiful to be heroic. But Fitzgerald gives him dignity as even if success remains elusive, he persists. In 2025, Pat feels relevant. One can sneak glimpses of him in a freelancer faking productivity, the veteran pushed aside by younger talent. That Fitzgerald wrote him in the shadow of his own downfall only sharpens the resonance. Fitzgerald once claimed there are no second acts in American lives. Pat Hobby, and perhaps Fitzgerald himself, show that it is perhaps not true. Double Time may be their last bow, but they remain onstage. Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
On definitive 20th century novels
Daily Quiz | On definitive 20th century novels Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit YOUR SCORE 0 /5 RETAKE THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | In this dystopian novel famous for its exploration of surveillance and totalitarianism — and which was published 35 years before the date in its title — what is the name of the omnipresent authoritarian leader symbolising oppressive control? DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? YES NO Answer : Big Brother SHOW ANSWER 2 / 5 | This novel has been celebrated for its critique of the 'American dream' during the Jazz Age. It was, however, a commercial failure when it was published in 1925. In its pages, name the mysterious millionaire known for lavish parties and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan. DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? YES NO Answer : Jay Gatsby SHOW ANSWER 3 / 5 | First published in 1967, the book quickly came to be hailed as one of the greatest achievements of literature worldwide. A landmark of magical realism, the book chronicles the Buendía family saga in what fictional town that symbolises isolation and cyclical history? DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? YES NO Answer : Macondo SHOW ANSWER 4 / 5 | Known for its satirical take on the absurdity of war, ________ is named for a paradoxical military rule in its plot that traps soldiers in a no-win situation. Fill in the blank with the book's name that has also entered regular use as a term of the English language. DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? YES NO Answer : Catch-22 SHOW ANSWER
Tokyo Weekender
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Tokyo's Lost Showa-Era Nightlife Club Scene
There was a time when people in Tokyo not only worked hard, but also partied just as hard. From the mid-1970s through the 1980s, even the asphalt streets seemed lacquered with possibility. The economy was booming, and the nights stretched endlessly, glittering with neon signs, alcohol, rhinestones and fantasy. This was a city intoxicated by its own potential. And the high — while it lasted — was electric. List of Contents: Tokyo's Decade of Excess Sunday School at the Shinjuku Disco The Rise of Host Clubs Where Queer Tokyo Survived Roppongi and the Rise of Bubble Glamor Juliana's Tokyo and the Death of an Era The Afterglow Related Posts Flamingo Bar in Roppongi, opened 1985 Tokyo's Decade of Excess In the 80s, nightclubs shimmered like Tokyo's answer to the Jazz Age — a playground for the newly rich, where money flowed as freely as the Dom Pérignon. The engine behind it all was the bubble economy — a dizzying surge of real estate speculation, loose credit and inflated stock prices that made office workers and landowners rich. Land in Tokyo's Ginza cost more than in Manhattan and banks threw loans at anything with a pulse. To party in Roppongi was to believe in the illusion that the boom would never bust. That beauty could be bought. And that desire had no cost. Sunday Disco at BIBA (c. 1984) | Obata Hitoshi/Hagamag Sunday School at the Shinjuku Disco It wasn't just adults filling the dance floors. By the early 80s , a bizarre phenomenon had taken over: daylight discos packed with junior high and high school students. In Shinjuku's Kabukicho area, the towering Daini Toa Kaikan building became ground zero for this youthquake. Clubs, including BIBA, operated across four floors. What began as late-night dens for delinquent teens evolved following a 1982 murder involving two junior high school girls who were picked up at a Kabukicho disco and later attacked in Chiba, one of them killed. Afterwards, curfews were imposed, leading to a full-blown daytime party movement. 1984, BIBA opened at noon on Sundays. Lines of uniformed teenagers wrapped around the stairwell. The bathrooms were the only part of the building with windows, which made it easy to forget it was still daylight. The scene led to routines such as the Bump , a battle-like choreography between two boys, and the Step , a group dance for girls. There was even the Jenka conga line to ' Can't Take My Eyes Off You .' The Rise of Host Clubs Beneath Toa Kaikan's booming floors, another form of theatrical nightlife emerged: host clubs. These were male equivalents to hostess bars — young men in sharp suits, rhinestones and stage names who sold conversation, attention and illusion to women in Kabukicho. Host clubs trace back to the late 1960s . By the 80s, the number of these clubs had increased significantly, with roughly 50 establishments in Shinjuku alone. The format soon became highly competitive as hosts earned commissions on drink sales and attempted to climb up the rankings. Where Queer Tokyo Survived A few blocks from Kabukicho's neon dazzle lay another revolution — Shinjuku Ni‑chome, Tokyo's queer quarter since the late 1940s . After the 1956 passage of the Prostitution Prevention Law, as red-light districts were restructured, a different kind of nightlife began to flourish. By the 80s, Ni‑chome hosted hundreds of intimate bars catering to gay men, lesbians and trans patrons. Spaces were coded — specialized for butches, femmes, bears, drag — accessible by referral and loyalty. This nightlife was defiant and political. It was as much survival as it was spectacle. Juliana's Tokyo (c. 1995) Roppongi and the Rise of Bubble Glamor Meanwhile, Roppongi's nightlife turned excess into art. Discos such as Turia, King & Queen and Area catered to a new kind of elite: people who were fashion-forward, image-obsessed and flush with cash from the bubble economy. One venue, Turia, was designed to look like a spaceship crash-landed in the area. Created by space designer Kotetsu Yamamoto and run by Layton House, the club embodied the architectural absurdity of the time. However, it ended in tragedy. On January 5, 1988 , a massive lighting fixture fell onto the dance floor, killing three. For some, it felt like the final curtain call of the disco age. The Showa era would officially end just one year later. Turia, Roppongi: before and after the tragic light fixture incident in 1988 Juliana's Tokyo and the Death of an Era Even after Japan's Bubble Economy burst in 1991, triggering a decade-long financial slump and what would later be called the 'Lost Decade,' glamour didn't die overnight. The markets had crashed, property values plummeted and corporate excess began its slow unraveling. On the dance floors of Tokyo, though, denial still glittered. That same year, Juliana's Tokyo opened in the Shibaura waterfront district. It quickly became a national sensation. Gyaru in skin-tight bodycon dresses danced atop glowing otachidai (raised pedestals), while techno throbbed and strobe lights sliced through the smoke. Office workers and college kids flooded in nightly, waving feathered Juri-sen fans like battle flags. The chant 'Julianers, Tokyo' became a euphoric war cry for a generation refusing to surrender to the coming recession. Though it closed just three years later, Juliana's remains one of the most iconic nightspots in Tokyo's history. It symbolized the last gasp of Showa-era glamor — an opulent fantasy defiantly staged in the shadow of economic collapse. And when it closed, the lights didn't just go out on the dance floor. They dimmed on an era. One of Juliana's rave-night CDs has been digitized here — complete with pounding beats, screaming synths and the iconic chant itself. The Afterglow Today, many of the old disco buildings are gone. Toa Kaikan still stands, but the music has long since stopped. Juliana's became a sports shop, then an ad agency. Turia's site is unrecognizable. Velfarre, once the jewel of Roppongi, was demolished in 2007. The lights, however, haven't truly gone out. City pop, which encapsulates the smooth optimism of this era, has returned with global fervor. Vintage flyers circulate online. In Shinjuku's backstreets, aging bartenders still line up worn laser discs, and some hostess clubs haven't changed their carpet since 1984. Even today, you'll find 20-somethings lining up for Juliana-themed club nights, feathered fans in hand, dancing to the ghost of a beat that refuses to die. Tokyo hasn't forgotten. It's just dancing in other costumes now. Related Posts 10 Surprising Facts About Japanese City Pop Icons The Timeless Nostalgia of Casio Digital Watches Iconic City Pop Songs Covered or Sampled by Overseas Artists | List of 7
San Francisco Chronicle
06-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Don't criticize Trump for enforcing immigration laws. Change them. Here's who can
The party most responsible for the deplorable American situation involving immigrants is Congress. Many are outraged by the recent deportations of undocumented immigrants, calling it shameful that they are being treated like criminals. Sorry. They are still law-breakers even if it is just a misdemeanor. President Donald Trump should not be vilified for enforcing the law. However, the U.S. became a global power because of immigration. The labor of immigrants has and is fueling the largest economy in the world. Inexplicably, because of our laws, a significant portion of this powerful force entered the country illegally. We should not be outraged that the laws are being enforced. We should be outraged that Congress has let such economically suicidal laws remain unchanged. The vast majority of undocumented immigrants in our country are hard-working, many in agricultural, hospitality and manufacturing jobs. They are taxpayers contributing to our economy while seeking a future for their families. Let's find a way to let this contribution continue. Instead of decrying the enforcement of our laws, let's change the law. I think that the Trump administration's messy deportation efforts could produce bipartisan support for immigration reform. Don't go back This year is the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby,' and I am reminded of the novel's last line: 'So on we beat, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.' Fitzgerald was the chronicler of the Jazz Age, an era of white, male homogeneity. Black musicians were emerging as exemplars of jazz, but Black people remained excluded from society. In the ingravescent attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, we are seeing ourselves borne back to that era, when fascism emerged in Europe and eugenics gained a following. In a year in which a judge is arrested for opposing the government, universities are sanctioned for DEI initiatives and law firms are punished for defending those who defy government priorities, we begin to sniff the stench of fascism again. If those who vilify DEI are reluctant to oppose its ideals, their real intent becomes obvious: the homogeneity of white male dominance, inequity and exclusion. They have dynamited the dam of decency to let the rushing river sweep us out to a deep sea of depravity and despair. Perhaps, as Fitzgerald intimates, we need to stretch our arms further toward a receding future. F. Kevin Murphy, Reno Fight the good fight I say, Gov. Gavin, fight fight fight! Trump must be defeated at all costs, lest America spread a dark shadow of tyranny around the world.
San Francisco Chronicle
29-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jazz Age at Yankee Stadium as Chisholm sparks Yankees at plate, on defense and in clubhouse
New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after hitting a three-run scoring triple during the third inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York. Adam Hunger/AP New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) and Jazz Chisholm Jr., right, celebrate after they defeated the Athletics in a baseball game Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York. Adam Hunger/AP New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York. Adam Hunger/AP New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after striking out during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York. Adam Hunger/AP New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits a three-run triple during the third inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, June 29, 2025, in New York. Adam Hunger/AP NEW YORK (AP) — The Jazz Age is in full swing at Yankee Stadium. Whether with his bat, his glove, his arm or his smile, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is energizing the New York Yankees and their fans. Chisholm hit a second-inning, go-ahead homer and a bases-loaded triple while making three sparkling defensive plays at third base Sunday in a 12-5 romp over the Athletics. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 'That's why we got him. That's what the Yankees do. They go after guys that are going to make an impact,' said New York captain Aaron Judge, who homered twice to reach 30 for the sixth time. Chisholm is batting .318 with six homers, 18 RBIs and four stolen bases since returning from strained right oblique on June 3, raising his season totals to .242 with 13 homers, 35 and 10 steals in 53 games. 'I feel like me. I feel I'm back in my era, that I was younger just going out there and just hitting, just not worrying about stuff," the 27-year-old said. "Just not worrying by my swing, not worrying about striding too far. Everything just feels good and I'm just going.' After a four-RBI night against Boston in his fourth game back, Chisholm made the unusual assertion he was thriving by giving 70% effort and not stressing. With New York seeking to reopen a 1 1/2-game AL East lead two days into the second half, he drove a first-pitch sinker from former Yankee Luis Severino into the right-field seats for a 1-0, second-inning lead. Ever exuberant, he raised his right hand and made a peace sign toward the Yankees bullpen after rounding first. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chisholm snagged Jacob Wilson's two-hopper with two on and one out in the third, bounded off third base for the forceout and balletically arced a throw to first for an inning-ending double play. With the the bases loaded in the the bottom half, Chisholm hit a changeup to the right-center gap that rolled past center fielder Denzel Clarke. He pulled into third base standing up and raised three fingers. 'It's like a blackout situation,' he said. 'I didn't even realize I put up three at third base.' With the bases loaded in the sixth, he made a diving stop near the dirt behind third on Luis Urías' 102.1 mph smash popped up and followed with a one-hop throw to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Then he caught Tyler Soderstrom's foul pop in the eighth inning while falling against netting in the narrow space next to the rolled up tarp. 'Jazz's defense I think was better than even his day at the plate,' said pitcher Marcus Stroman, who won in his return from a 2 1/2-month injury layoff. "He was incredible over there: a bunch of huge plays that helped me out in big spots, plays that are not normal plays." Advertisement Article continues below this ad New York acquired Chisholm from Miami last July 27 for three minor leaguers. Since then he's hit .257 with 24 homers, 58 RBIs and 28 stolen bases in 99 games. 'His game's so electric, and he can change the game and kind of affect the game in so many different ways in a dynamic fashion,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'So when he is playing at a high level, I think it does energize everyone.' Chisholm briefly caused worry in the sixth. He grimaced in pain after stopping his swing at a 1-2 fastball from Elvis Alvarado, which sailed high and outside. Chisholm went to the dugout and immediately up the tunnel to the clubhouse. Then he reappeared at third base for the start of the seventh. 'The bat kind of slipped out of my hand and hit me on the finger,' he said. 'It just hit the bone and when you get hit on the bone, it's kind of funny, it's just feels weird. So it was kind of scary at first, but we're good.' Advertisement Article continues below this ad ___
