Many of The Nation's most famous contributors were fierce critics of the status quo—people who refused to toe the official line, who believed that a healthy democracy always requires principled dissent. And now you can revisit (or perhaps discover for the first time) some of their very best work—whether it's a brand-new eBook by one of The Nation's current contributors or a selection compiled from The Nation Digital Archive, America's most complete history of progressive politics and culture. Dozen
Twelve Pieces by
Kurt Vonnegut
Edited by
RICHARD LINGEMAN
America owes Kurt Vonnegut a debt of gratitude for infusing its culture with the brilliant insight found in books like Mother Night, Player Piano and Slaughterhouse-5—and for the mordantly funny writings assembled in this collection.
The Nation was one of Vonnegut's outlets for his political writings. He contributed to the magazine once or twice a year from 1978 to 1998, like a regular donation to the United Way. His politics were consistently on the left, and after fighting in World War II—which, for all its horrors, he considered just—he angrily condemned all of the United States' subsequent wars of choice.
He wrote in a kind of faux-simpleminded style. He avoided the high seriousness demanded by some critics, who dismissed his body of work as a product of the 1960s counterculture, popular only among shaggy-haired youths with callow taste.
But his best work, as you'll see, deals with ultimate questions.
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Molly Ivins
Letters to
The Nation
Edited by
RICHARD LINGEMAN
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Gore Vidal's
State of the Union
Nation Essays
1958-2005
Edited by
RICHARD LINGEMAN
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Writing in her native "Texlish," Molly Ivins planted herself squarely in the tradition of plain-spoken and earthy American humor, the big river that runs from Mark Twain straight through to Will Rogers, Ring Lardner and George Carlin. Between 1982 and 2007, Ivins contributed seventeen consistently sharp and funny articles to The Nation, starting with what might be described as her "Letters From Texas," in which she discussed political developments in the Lone Star State, whose zany politics were full of exotic people dubbed "The Gibber," "The Breck Girl" and "Governor Goodhair." Despite their humor, however, Ivins's pieces always delivered trenchant political commentary. And she could also write highly accomplished and fascinating cultural essays and book reviews (such as "Ezra Pound in East Texas," included in this eBook). |
Gore Vidal was the pre-eminent essayist of his generation—a writer known for his switchblade wit, elegant style, deep erudition and passionate devotion to progressive politics. The essays collected here all appeared in The Nation from 1958 to 2005 and cover a wide range of subjects—from politics and society to religion, manners and morals. Vidal's "golden era" at The Nation commenced in 1981 with his explosive first essay for editor Victor Navasky, "Some Jews and the Gays," included here. This collection also exemplifies the best of his critical vision with other great essays like "Requiem for the American Empire," "Monotheism and Its Discontents," "Notes on Our Patriarchal State," "The Birds and the Bees" and its Monica Lewinsky-era sequel, "The Birds and the Bees and Clinton." Prepare to have your preconceptions thoroughly skewered, even as you're laughing out loud. |
