She was greater than keen. She was Cougat.

Forty years ago

The "Annie Hall" look, New York Daily News, July 1977

Diane Keaton was more than a star. She was the last actress whose imperfection felt transcendent, writes Charles McElwee 👇 buff.ly/VPAMYhx

My piece on Diane Keaton at UnHerd unherd.com/newsroom/diane…

Keaton made neurosis glamorous, sincerity stylish, and ordinary life magical. No algorithm could ever capture that, writes Charles McElwee 👇 buff.ly/VPAMYhx

"For more than a century, people have wondered if the city is ungovernable; with the exception of Fiorello La Guardia, who had New Deal money raining down...every idealistic leader who has been elected mayor has left City Hall in some way battered by it." newyorker.com/magazine/2025/…

“I have a little pride in the fact that I’ve lasted a long time. I started when I was in my teens, and I’ve been in every medium: nightclubs, radio, television, music, Broadway, movies. I’ve done a huge amount of show business.” airmail.news/issues/2025-10…

Empire State Building, 12th Avenue, New York City by Joel Meyerowitz, 1978

The Steve McQueen Affair airmail.news/issues/2025-10…

The uncharacteristic charm of Lou Reed and all the sublime eighties aesthetics in his 1984 music video for "I Love You, Suzanne"

"The streamer, the TikToker, the Redditor who log on to vent, to opine, to take, to rouse ire and urge revolution or hatred, are in some ways—in all ways—tragic characters" cafeamericainmag.com/the-politics-o…

"Why do people make tremulous films about artists?" airmail.news/issues/2025-10…

"David, a 22-year-old Democrat [in the Lehigh Valley], said he 'completely stopped paying attention' to social media because 'it's either virtue signaling or it's intentionally inflammatory.' Asked where he gets his news, he responded, 'I don't.'" axios.com/2025/10/19/pen…

Esquire, November 1969

"Updike left a long tail. He wrote more than 60 books, a stupefying number...You may wonder what possibly there is left for him to say. The answer these letters provide is, well, almost everything." nytimes.com/2025/10/20/boo…

For the past 10-15 years, the top private employer in so many Pennsylvania communities nytimes.com/2025/10/21/tec…

Moody fall afternoon in Chestnut Hill

The RealClearPennsylvania Podcast is live! The first guest is Dave McCormick. We talked about AI and tech, data centers, China, Pennsylvania’s future, and more: youtu.be/wFjiuDMsTjo?si…

Sen. Dave McCormick: Pennsylvania Is Poised To Lead the AI Revolution in America Dave McCormick Charles McElwee #politics #AI #Pennsylvania