In light of Time Inc.'s recent 289-person employee dump, steady gigs at its flagship magazine are hard to come by. But 28-year-old Yalie Isaiah Wilner found a rather circuitous route into the august weekly's musty arms: He wrote a book about it. Wilner, author of The Man Time Forgot: A Tale of Genius, Betrayal, and the Creation of Time Magazine, has been hired as a consultant on Time's forthcoming redesign.
Wilner didn't respond to an e-mail, but Time spokeswoman Betsy Burton confirms that "Isaiah is here temporarily to help with some changes," and described him as "a smart, young talent who has a deep understanding and appreciation for Time's DNA."
The association with Wilner kind of makes sense, and kind of doesn't: On the one hand, The Man Time Forgot, according to reviews, makes Time Godhead Henry R. Luce look like a colossal asshole. On the other, it's premised on the notion that Time is the awesomest magazine ever and would be a really supercool place to work.
The lesson for all you axed Time lifers who want your jobs back? Start scribbling!