How to Die How to Die
Atul Gawande argues that physicians should focus care on the good life—including its very end.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Sophia Rosenfeld
Pinwheel Pinwheel
In the back of my classroom stands Blake’s car Bearing Dante’s blest Beatrice; In martial middle, ranked desks, each Packing a lexicon in undercarriage; On one book’s pressed pages, surprise!—a raised Nazi swastika. Find the kid who did it, turn him in to turn Him out? Or claim “a teaching moment,” Redeem the inditer, if woe Like that might ever be removed, might ever Cease being banal? Maybe one should give Credit—extra—for burning Hate not on synagogue wall or lav stall, But on language itself, on thought, A ready reference, a wrought Consciousness, edginess? Perhaps one must Pass on the sinner instead, deal with just The sin, that is, in all Literalness—save at least time and trouble, Change what can be changed, blacken out The offense with more ink (no doubt A “cover-up,” but what the hell)? Would “Wite- Out” be better? Or the ultimate hit, Scissor snipping, eh, bubba? We mouth each day, “…with liberty and justice For all,” and study Douglass, Twain, Truth, Addams, Joseph, Peltier, Tan, Cisneros, King, and on, but to what end? The Indian benediction is bent Backwards, blessing made curse, Love made hate, again and again, a wheeling Known all too well. Wheel, whorl, Blake-Dante Vortex, spirit-world spinning on, Esti, asti, ist, is… This then: add four More arms, close the figure, window it. More Pinwheel, if you will. Still.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Rod Kleber
Puzzle No. 3359 Puzzle No. 3359
Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. ACROSS 1 Tolerates bad writers (5) 4 Violet kicked back with King Kong, e.g. (a movie for watching at home, once) (9) 9 Team with a specific assignment might ask for certain materials (4,5) 10 Bite a cut of lamb containing bit of mint (5) 11 Without fail, gropes some fish (4) 12 Author discussed something to hold ice-cream-and-peanut product (5,5) 14 Stray scandal concerning an opera singer? (8) 15 Stabs informant, returning contents of desk (6) 18 Get white, and ultimately pastel, in a location where some get tan (6) 19 Capital from friend ahead of a nuisance (8) 22 Wino and lapdog romping in shallow water (6,4) 24 Offensive excerpt from smug lyricist (4) 26 Big cat’s loud growl from Southeast Asia? (5) 27 Pound a long hole for a team sport (9) 28 Unmarried woman’s collection is originally hijacked by international cartel, along with the man’s shirt (4,5) 29 Secure sectors in a recession (5) DOWN 1 Impetuous person, naked, shot French tea commercial (7) 2 Evil caste running amok—hey, what are you gonna do about it? (4,2,3) 3 Piece of furniture is unfinished until now (4) 4 Done removing cap and opening wine (8) 5 Radio personality residing in Abidjan? (6) 6 In the West by chance, switching blood types at first (10) 7 Hurt back near New York (5) 8 The author is upset over iron ruler (7) 13 Self-absorbed, unreliable concierge takes time (10) 16 Combatant secures perimeter of reconnaissance ship (9) 17 Passage from Nahum? Or is that someone making a joke? (8) 18 Entrance in part of the Internet raised desire (7) 20 Children’s store retouched photos featuring yeti’s face (3,4) 21 Cut stone in Guadalajara—that is hard to see through (6) 23 Find a small dog tag turned over (3,2) 25 A dentist’s supplements (4) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3358 ACROSS 1 pun 9 anag. 10 NEED + LED 11 “chilly” 12 anag. 13 EN(TROP)Y (yen anag., port rev.) 15 AD VERSE 17 anag. 19 ENCO (anag.) + DER (rev.) 21 SPRIN[t] + KLER ([c]lerk anag.) 23 anag. 25 not cryptic 26 H(AI)TIAN (a hint anag.) 27 pun DOWN 1 2 defs. (&lit.) 2 [s]HINDI[g] 3 S + PIRITOSO (anag.) 4 NUR (rev.) + SE + [bu]RY 5 PAN + ACE + A 6 anag. 7 SOLD(I)ERED 8 ADH (anag.) + ERE 14 THEOR (anag.) + ETIC (rev.) 16 VA + CA + NC + I.E. + S 17 AU + S + TIN 18 anag. 19 EARS HOT 20 RU(L + IN)GS 22 anag. 24 P + RICE
Apr 14, 2015 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto
Shelf Life Shelf Life
In Nell Zink’s The Wallcreeper, biology fails to determine anything at all.
Apr 14, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Hannah Gold
Hillary Clinton’s Newfound Populism Will Be Tested Early and Often Hillary Clinton’s Newfound Populism Will Be Tested Early and Often
From trade deals to living-wage campaigns to student-debt relief, whose side is candidate Clinton on?
Apr 14, 2015 / The Editors
Why the Deal With Iran Is Worth Fighting For Why the Deal With Iran Is Worth Fighting For
It will not only forestall a Mideast arms race; it could lead to resolution of a number of other regional crises.
Apr 14, 2015 / Michael T. Klare
You’ll Definitely Guess How Republicans Want to Pay for Childcare You’ll Definitely Guess How Republicans Want to Pay for Childcare
Tax breaks for childcare will be a disaster. Luckily, we know a better way.
Apr 14, 2015 / Bryce Covert
Snapshot: Young Guns in Yemen’s War Snapshot: Young Guns in Yemen’s War
A follower of Yemen’s Houthi movement carries his weapon during a protest against Saudi-led airstrikes. “We are rushing toward a humanitarian disaster,” Julien Harneis, the Unicef representative for Yemen, told Sharif Abdel Kouddous in a report for TheNation.com. “And children are paying the price for what’s going on.”
Apr 14, 2015 / Mohamed al-Sayaghi
Remembering the Left-Wing Terrorism of the 1970s Remembering the Left-Wing Terrorism of the 1970s
Bryan Burrough’s new book should lead us to ask why extremists are so frequently able to hijack movements fighting for social justice.
Apr 14, 2015 / Column / Eric Alterman
Who’s Gonna Win in Britain’s Election? Probably, Nobody Who’s Gonna Win in Britain’s Election? Probably, Nobody
The United Kingdom’s political landscape is now as fractured and unruly as its society.
Apr 14, 2015 / Column / Gary Younge