"If God had meant Harvard professors to appear in People magazine, She wouldn't have invented The New York Review of Books"

This quote by Anna Quindlen is a funny take on the idea of popularity and celebrity. By discussing Harvard teachers and People magazine, she is referencing 2 very various worlds - the scholastic and the popular. The use of "God" in this quote includes a touch of irony, as it recommends that there is a magnificent plan for who ends up being popular and who doesn't. Quindlen then goes on to state that if God had planned for Harvard professors to be in the spotlight, there would be no requirement for a publication like The New York Review of Books, which is known for its intellectual and literary content. In essence, Quindlen is satirizing the idea of fame and advising us that there are various paths to success and recognition.