That's an awesomely graphic description, Nick Denton! It's from Gawker's story this evening about how Hachette (owners of Elle and some other mags you don't care about) is basically going to hell in a handbasket, fast. Which isn't so surprising.
There have been layoffs, their Websites are sucking, Nina Garcia is gone, and Gawker predicts that even head honcho Jack Kliger will be forced out soon. This is not so good because it makes me sad when older men are laid off from their jobs because I'm afraid they'll get depressed and won't be able to find another job and lose all their money/stock options on drinking and gambling. And yet!—It also seemed the perfect time to tell my Jack Kliger Christmas story!
It is three days before Christmas 2006 and me and the rest of the staff of Hachette's "magazine for illiterates" had been laid off the day before by Kliger in his office. I go back to pack a small box of my desk things and then head to the elevator. I push the down button, get in with my cardboard box, and just as the doors go to close, a man in a suit pops into the elevator with me. It is Jack Kliger leaving for the day. He sees my "I-just-got-fired" box and it's a really uncomfortable moment. When we get to the lobby, I consider saying, "Merry Christmas!" for comic effect, but I think I actually tried to be sincere and said, "Have a good night." In retrospect, I bet he probably thought I was trying to be an ass.
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