Peter Kaplan's Cover Story for M Magazine - November 1992

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As promised, here's Peter Kaplan's cover story for the last issue of M Magazine. Kaplan thought late night talk shows not only spoke to America but spoke for us as well. Kaplan's daughter sang Irving Berlin's, "What I'll Do" at his funeral. It seems fitting to include Bernadette Peter's rendition that aired on one of the last Johnny Carson shows back in April -- Oddly, the same year of M's demise.

Clay Felker on Peter Kaplan

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Peter Kaplan, who told me he had no idea, wrote the cover story for the last issue of M, or as it was known by 1992, 'M Inc.' Clay Felker, Kaplan's friend, mentor & editor of M Inc., praised the TV obsessed Kaplan for the piece he did on David Letterman.

In describing Letterman and his gritty honesty, I always thought Felker was describing Kaplan as well -- Like Warren Oates doing Sam Peckinpah in, 'Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.'

Peter Kaplan: A General Kind of Love

Peter Kaplan, A Civilized Man, November 1992

Peter Kaplan died of cancer Friday. He was 59.  A couple months ago,  I called him on his cell since he never answered his office phone.  He answered with a curious, "Hello?" I'm guessing because of the mysterious area code.

"Mr. Kaplan, this is John Tinseth and I don't mean to sand bag you on your cell, but I just wanted to let you know what was going on with the M book, and we're gonna make it an E book 'cause it was impossible to get in everything we wanted hard copy, and the proofs from the printer in China sucked, and we'd like to insert  filmed interviews in the E book with folks who knew and worked  on M, and since you wrote the last cover story, would you be interested in doing an interview?"

This was said at roughly the same speed and pentameter as Ralphie asking Santa for a Red Ryder  BB gun.  "Sure," Kaplan said,  "I'd be happy to help in any way that I can.  Just let me know when you wanna do it." Getting the firm order, I thanked him and said goodbye before he could change his mind and kick me down the slide. The second I hung up, that monumental exuberance, like a parachute opening, would change to paranoid dread as I wondered how I'd ever get Kaplan on the phone again, or,  if he even meant it.  This was New York City after all and people like Peter Kaplan had bigger fish to fry --  Little did I know what was going on...

From the NY Times obit, he had been diagnosed last Summer.  When I found out this morning, all I could think of, being the selfish asshole that I am, was what a gyp.  My first meeting with Kaplan was for a 3PM lunch in an Irish pub in April of 2012.

Peter Kaplan Mar 28, 2012
The.Trad@Yahoo.com

Dear John Tinseth,
Hi. We haven’t met—but I am a great fan of The Trad.
I would very much like to speak to you about M magazine and your new book—a topic of plenty of importance around here. Do you have time for a drink in the next couple of weeks?
Yours,
Peter Kaplan
Editorial Director
Fairchild Fashion Media

We were meeting in his building lobby and at the last minute I grabbed an Observer from a news stand and spread it out in front me while crossing my legs on a Barcelona ottoman while trying to look relaxed.

"John?" he said.  I lowered the paper and saw him smiling.  I stood up and offered my hand --  Just to shake, but from what I knew about Kaplan, it was a proposal as well.  He wanted to talk about M Magazine and the book.  I wanted to work for the mother fucker.  I folded the Observer and tossed it on the ottoman.  Kaplan frowned and pointed at the pink paper, "You're leaving the paper?" "That's not a paper anymore…" I whined, "it's classified ads for real estate."  Kaplan didn't laugh but I saw a small grin.

On May 23, 2012, at 3:50 PM, "Kaplan, Peter" wrote:  Just got out. Want to meet at Starbucks on Third and 47th? 

After that lunch, we'd get together a couple more times at a Starbucks around the corner and, never would I have guessed,  our last meeting in his office.  By then he knew.  We talked about a story I did on Charlie Davidson and the Andover Shop.  I could tell he didn't like it but he said it just needed a little tweaking.  I left feeling like I had let him down.  I also felt like a phony trying to be part of something I wasn't qualified for.  I still do. 

From: John Tinseth <the.trad@yahoo.com>
Date: November 12, 2012 11:10:13 AM EST
To: Kaplan, Peter
Subject: Cup a coffee for a Vet?

It's the only card I have. 

From: John Tinseth [the.trad@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 08:31 AM Eastern Standard Time
To: Kaplan, Peter
Subject: Fwd: Cup a coffee for a Vet? 

Commie. 

On Nov 13, 2012, at 8:43 AM, "Kaplan, Peter" wrote:

Dear John I am so sorry. I have been out of the office a lot lately. Let us schedule a phone call. Peter 

We talked a handful of times afterwards but I never saw Kaplan again.  I wanted to.  Anytime I found myself close by his office and Starbucks, I'd hope to bump into him on the street.  It never happened but I could feel his presence walking that avenue ever alert for his tortoise shell glasses, khakis, blue oxford button-down and dusty foulard tie.

The Trad, never a financial success, has given me rich access to some of the most interesting people.  It's funny, but I think of the Army the same way.  I didn't make any money but I met men I will never forget. I don't think it's too far off the mark for Peter Kaplan to be my favorite general.  Like the generals I worked for, our relationship was not intimate, but it was about love and that's why some people can lead and most of us can't.

M Mischianza

From left (reclining) Kevin Doyle; (center row) Lacey Doyle, Duncan Christy, Jayne Christy, Kent Black; (rear row) Christina Lynch; Mark Ganem; Kathleen "Kat" Butler, Margo Hammond, Lynette Cortez, Dennis Freedman, Tom Moran

From left (front row) George Chinsee, Steve Pomper, Dennis Freedman, Jayne Christy holding Elizabeth Christy; (rear row) Tom Moran, Kat Butler, John Jarvis, Kyle Ericksen, Malena Black, Kent Black, Kevin Doyle, Robert Bryan, Duncan Christy, Glenn Plaskin

This is only gonna make sense if you're at the Katie Murphy Ampitheatre on FIT's campus (Northwest Side of 7th Avenue at 27th Street) tonight at 6PM.  And even then...I'm not so sure. 

Philip Weiss: The New M & The Old Observer

New York Observer, February 3, 2001 (click image to read)

Peter Kaplan cobbled together the new M mostly with existing staff from Fairchild.  I offered my services in a Starbucks near his office, "Pay me spit and I'll do anything you tell me to do.  I'll attack machine gun nests for you.  Only condition -- I report to you and not some hump who works for you." Maybe I came on a little strong.  Actually, I would work for one  hump who writes for Kaplan.  Philip Weiss.

Back in 2001, Kaplan was the editor of the NY Observer (Best Of NYO is in the sales bin here) back when that paper meant something more than real estate ads.  Kaplan not only hired Candace Bushnell but he came up with the title for her column, "Sex and the City."  I bet the NY Observer made a fortune off that.

Kaplan rounded out the new M crew with a few cronies from the Observer. One Observer alumni,  Philip Weiss, cranks out a gutsy interview with a difficult subject matter for any straight man... pretty boy model, Sean O'Pry (To Editors at GQ:  Worried about living down the, "Gay men's life style publication." Drop the cheese cake beards and hire Weiss).

I follow Weiss on Twitter  but back in the day, Weiss did an Observer interview with balls-so-big-I-don't-know-how-he-walks writer, Jim Harrison.  The premise for the interview was a discussion between Weiss and Harrison about older women. Harrison was always a hero of mine but Weiss became one too with this beautiful and honest piece about what it's like to be a man growing old and how it's possible to wake up and wise up.

If you're getting up there in the years - read this - you'll love it.  If you're a 25 year old Jr Mint -- I'm working on a Tumbler to explain this to you.  -30-

Peter Kaplan & The New M

It starts with a Peter Kaplan email that looks like a loft in Soho. Lots of white space. Several cancellations and loftmails later we get together for lunch.  Kaplan's wearing khakis, a blue button down oxford and a foulard tie. We sit across from each other in a restaurant booth of an empty Irish pub.

Kaplan (picking up a menu): You hungry?

Me: I've already had lunch.

Kaplan: Of course you have.  It's three o'clock..

Me: I'll just have a club soda.

Kaplan asks the waitress a question.  In a meter not unlike my Russian cleaning lady.  Halting.  The waitress answers.  He interrupts her.  She stops.  He stops.  She replies and he interrupts her again. It's exhausting if you cringe easily...which I do.

Kaplan: So here's what I want you to do.

I write notes on a napkin.  And another napkin.  Kaplan eats lunch and I drink three club sodas. I have to pee like a race horse but I don't want to interrupt him because he's throwing gold at me. We'll see each other two more times.  Each time he'll be wearing the same tie, a blue button down and khakis.

M Magazine debuts today on newsstands. If you have a hard time finding it, you can meet Kaplan and the magazine he's editing through his letter from the editor. There's some good stuff here. Gold.  You may wanna grab a club soda. [Click images to read]

'M' The Civilized Man "...makes a comeback"

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Congratulations to Peter Kaplan. First issue will be out this September.

Holy Week: The Paper

54 East 64th Street, photo courtesy of John Wu Public Relations

INT: The 6:31PM north bound Chicago Metra train. On the upper deck a man hangs a salmon colored newspaper on the rail in front of him. A passenger points at the paper.

"Can I check out your FT?"
"It's not FT. It's the New York Observer."
"The what?"
"The New York Observer. It's a weekly."
"Why do you read that? We're in Chicago."
"It makes me laugh."
"Do you read any Chicago papers?"
"No."
"So you don't really know what's going on in Chicago?"
"I read the Sun Times when I get a shoe shine. It makes me laugh but not in the same way."

I like to think I was the first subscriber to NYO in Lake Bluff. I probably was the only subscriber in Lake Bluff. I loved the NYO. Wicked smart and with a point of view while the Chicago Tribune was only good for tire ads in the sports section. When I read the NYO I felt like I was in NYC with some very smart people who were not afraid to call the bullshitters out for what they were. A favorite was a send up of Saul Steinberg's vulgar 50th birthday bash by Michael Thomas, "...tomorrow I will be sober but you'll still be Saul Steinberg."

The newspaper was run out of a townhouse at 54 E. 64th until 2004. I swung by trying to pick up something by osmosis or, maybe I thought I could hear the walls talk. No such luck. Better to read the paper's best compiled in a book, The Kingdom of New York, by long time editor, Peter Kaplan. Some interviews with war stories are included as well. Look, if you live in NYC you must own this book...'cause I couldn't find it at the library.