Luminous Sightings

Entertainment Weekly, June 23 issue, Owen Gleiberman’s review of the film “Loverboy”: “It’s fascinating to watch Sedgwick try to make Emily into a luminous wack job….”

The New Yorker, June 19 issue, Oliver Sacks’ article on stereovision—twice in the same paragraph: “She had mentioned to me that the bay there was sometimes full of luminous organisms…. When we arrived, in the middle of August, we found that our timing was perfect—the water was aflame with the luminous creatures.” Dude, I appreciate that you’re a world-famous neurologist played by Robin Williams in “Awakenings.” But seriously, get a thesaurus. Although kudos for actually using the word correctly.

The New Yorker, June 26 issue, Sasha Frere-Jones’ article on the band Radiohead: “I’ve discovered that with each successive record the fog around the music dissipates a little and Radiohead’s luminous teamwork comes more clearly into view.” To borrow from the world of soccer, a Red Card to Ms. Frere-Jones for egregiously vague usage. I have no idea what she could possibly be trying say. Check out various synonyms: beaming teamwork, incandescent teamwork, lustrous teamwork, resplendent teamwork, vivid teamwork. I give up. Were the band members all dressed in sequins?