An interview with The New York Times' new perfume critic, Chandler Burr

[Grant]

An interview with The New York Times' new perfume critic, Chandler Burr
by Grant Osborne, 22 August 2006.
The New York Times announced today the appointment of Chandler Burr as its first columnist to review and rate fragrances. Mr. Burr, a longtime magazine writer and the author of "The Emperor of Scent", will have his first column - called Scent Strip - published in the fall issue of T: Women's Fashion on August 27. Read an interview with Chandler Burr abour his new column here....[more]

[supermarky]

he's kind of cute in a tom fordish way, but they should have hired oh, I think, Naed_Nitram !!

[tariq]

well, I've read his reviews from his web site...,

well Burr is forcing his taste in his reviews with a confident...he is not subjective , I mean what appeals good to his nose, doesn't have to be the same to mine.
he is judging fragrances, as his descision is the final one.

for example:

he hates M7..& makes it the worst creation ever, while M7 to me & many people around the globe is a magical water...it would turn any frog into a prince.

& on the other hand he puts COCO Madmosille on the top of the world, as the the best fragrance ever been created, while it is for me & my wife the most nauseous frgrance ever to my nose...??

[Cognoscento]

That's interesting. I did read Burr's book about Turin, and found it very fascinating. I don't know enough about scent receptor physiology to assess the different theories about scent perception, and I suppose that Burr may have been biased towards Turin's theories.

However, when Burr describes the tortuous process of trying to introduce some new ideas into the scientific community, this really seemed to ring true. In academia, preserving the status quo (or at least one's own theory) and rejecting and ridiculing anyone who deigns to have a new idea evidently take up nearly as much time as actually doing research and uncovering facts.

In any case, reading the book got me very interested in scent, and led me to start acquiring and sniffing cologne.

I would really enjoy finding out Turin's take on Richard Axel and Linda Buck, who won the Nobel for scent research that Turin had so eagerly sought for himself. I imagine the fur would be flying!

Still, I think that someone like Scenteur7 (our Marlon) would be more qualified to write these reviews, if experience is the criterium. But he didn't have a bestseller, and did not manage to hitch his name to a famous scent guru.

[maisonstinky]

Originally Posted by Cognoscento

Still, I think that someone like Scenteur7 (our Marlon) would be more qualified to write these reviews, if experience is the criterium. But he didn't have a bestseller, and did not manage to hitch his name to a famous scent guru.

You stole my thunder there . I really think Marlen will get there someday .

[tariq]

I second that Marlen would be better in writing 'REVIEWS'..., at least he would be more subjective..

.. go ..go ..Marlen ..

[Shycat]

Marlen could be #3, perhaps for the Washington Post.

[katiedid]

Thanks Grant - wonderful article/interview. It's much appreciated as a good read on this slow Sunday. Nice work.

[castorpollux]

Thanks a lot for the interview, very inetresting!