Books and Ideas

Welcome to the 2012 Hunger Games Welcome to the 2012 Hunger Games

Sending debt peonage, poverty and freaky weather into the arena.

May 1, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Rebecca Solnit

Ron Paul, Still Standing Ron Paul, Still Standing

Mitt’s opposite number is still in the race. Paul has his supporters; he has his own base. He has his own style, which is folksy, not canned. Religion? He’s got one. His prophet’s Ayn Rand. By Rand’s wacko theories he’s fervently gripped, So he won’t do flip-flops. He long ago flipped.

Apr 25, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin

The Road to Marjayoun: On Anthony Shadid

The Road to Marjayoun: On Anthony Shadid The Road to Marjayoun: On Anthony Shadid

Anthony Shadid was an exceedingly rare reporter in the thinning ranks of American journalism.  

Apr 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Scott Sherman

A Charismatic Chameleon: On Luis Buñuel A Charismatic Chameleon: On Luis Buñuel

Hitchcock delighted in manipulating the audience. Early on Luis Buñuel learned to be satisfied with amusing himself.

Apr 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / J. Hoberman

Exit Santorum Exit Santorum

With Rick getting out, the Whack-a-Mole’s over. The last mole’s been whacked, and Mitt is in clover. The clover smells good, but here is the riddle: Can Romney now move it a bit toward the middle? By dropping the wacko-right banner he’s gripping, Will he be accused of more flopping and flipping?

Apr 18, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin

In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo

In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo

Behind the Beautiful Forevers is a superb, empathic account of life in a Mumbai undercity.

Apr 17, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Laila Lalami

Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

Rodric Braithwaite, Jonathan Steele and Artemy Kalinovsky analyze the forgotten history of Afghan communism and the Soviet occupation.

Apr 17, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Christian Parenti

On Feminism and Sadomasochistic Sex On Feminism and Sadomasochistic Sex

Katie Roiphe's Newsweek cover story ignores the fact that in every century and decade, sadomasochistic erotica has broken into the mainstream.

Apr 16, 2012 / Blog / Dana Goldstein

The Republican National Committee Selects a Campaign Slogan The Republican National Committee Selects a Campaign Slogan

Our slogan’s been chosen. We think it’s a hit. We’ll shout from the rafters, “We settle for Mitt!”

Apr 11, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin

Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry

Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry

Geoffrey Brock’s anthology of twentieth-century Italian poetry offers the risk of a counter-eloquence.

Apr 11, 2012 / Books & the Arts / James Longenbach

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