Magazine classics re-imagined for digital age

What would some of our most beloved magazine stories look like if they were written today? The Pitch re-imagines stories by literary journalism pioneers Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and more.

The original six stories took months – even years – to report, and clock in at thousands of words. Now they’ve been conveniently re-sized and re-packaged for the digitally ADD. Here are three of the six The Pitch came up with (quoted in entirety):

“Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” by Gay Talese. Esquire, 1966

“What it Was: Considered the best magazine story of all time, Talese’s story helped make Esquire the dream workplace of every wannabe-literal journalism student who graduated between 1966 and 2002. (Now it’s Slate, I guess. Or maybe Barnes and Noble.)

“What it Would Look Like Today: “@GayTaleseEsq RT @OldBlueEyes: I’m feeling kind of sniffly. Think I may be coming down with something.”

“The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved,” by Hunter Thompson. Scanlan‘s, 1970

“What it Was: Vintage Doctor, spilling over with whiskey and love.

“What it Would Look Like Today: A slideshow: “Photos from the Kentucky Derby (NSFW).

“The Silent Season of a Hero,” by Gay Talese. Esquire, 1966

“What it Was: Among the best pieces of sportswriting of all time, and proud owner of one of the great Joe DiMaggio-Marilyn Monroe anecdotes:

    She appeared on 10 occasions before 100,000 servicemen, and when she returned, she said, “It was so wonderful, Joe. You never heard such cheering.”
    “Yes, I have,” he said.

“What it Would Look Like Today: A video on TMZ, with DiMaggio trying to pick up his luggage at SFO while an orange-tinted intern shoved a camera in his face and faux-politely asked about his marriage to Marilyn. Headline: “Boltin Joe — DiMaggio leaving Marilyn for Idol runner-up.”