Thank Postal Workers by Fighting to Save the Postal Service Thank Postal Workers by Fighting to Save the Postal Service
The USPS will deliver 15.5 billion pieces of mail this season. Yet it is threatened by devastating closures and cuts.
Dec 23, 2014 / John Nichols
Introducing ‘The Almanac’: This Day in ‘Nation’ History Introducing ‘The Almanac’: This Day in ‘Nation’ History
Andrew Johnson’s and Bill Clinton’s impeachment trials; obituaries for Theodore Roosevelt, Vladimir Lenin and Winston Churchill; the beginnings of the Prague Spring and...
Dec 23, 2014 / Richard Kreitner and The Almanac
After Cuba, Obama Can Make History by Recognizing Palestine After Cuba, Obama Can Make History by Recognizing Palestine
Now that President Obama has broken the taboo on recognizing Cuba, he should send a US ambassador to Palestine as a prerequisite for a comprehensive peace treaty.
Dec 23, 2014 / Juan Cole
Dancing With Shiva Dancing With Shiva
Shantala Shivalingappa smolders as she dances the lives of the gods.
Dec 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Marina Harss
Liberalism Doesn’t Start With Liberty Liberalism Doesn’t Start With Liberty
In Edmund Fawcett’s new history, liberalism begins with capitalism and revolution.
Dec 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Katrina Forrester
Paul Thomas Anderson, Director of Depravity Paul Thomas Anderson, Director of Depravity
Joaquin Phoenix and Owen Wilson star in Inherent Vice, a delirious romp through all of man’s perversions.
Dec 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
Salt Song Salt Song
—Zunis make shrines on the way to a lake where I emerge and Miwoks gather me out of pools along the Pacific the cheetah thirsts for me and when you sprinkle me on rib eye you have no idea how I balance silence with thunder in crystal you dream of butterfly hunting in Madagascar spelunking through caves echoing with dripping stalactites and you don’t see how I yearn to shimmer an orange aurora against flame look at me in your hand in Egypt I scrubbed the bodies of kings and queens in Pakistan I zigzag upward through twenty-six miles of tunnels before drawing my first breath in sunlight if you heat a kiln to 2380 degrees and scatter me inside I vaporize and bond with clay in this unseen moment a potter prays because my pattern is out of his hands and when I touch your lips you salivate and when I dissolve on your tongue your hair rises ozone unlocks a single stroke of lightning sizzles to earth—
Dec 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Arthur Sze
Letters Letters
Torch-Eyed Elephant Stampede!… droning on… black & white & gray all over… hanging up her pencils…
Dec 23, 2014 / Our Readers
Puzzle No. 3349 Puzzle No. 3349
Click HERE to download a printable PDF of this puzzle. And don’t miss Kosman and Picciotto’s crossword blog, Word Salad. ACROSS 1 Behind operator’s buggy, that woman’s clutching tail of dog that hurts a notable curmudgeon (5,3,6) 9 Snatch money back, excluding $1,000 for software feature (7) 10 Update official with letter from Israel (7) 11 Terrible cad and liar discussed Arab leader’s fashionable embrace of left-wing causes (7,4) 12 & 22 Rush holds a sawbuck (6) 13 Customer’s financial claim in court (6) 14 Jarring ringtone that’s in the air (8) 17 Outdid Johnny and Brian, returning about mid-January (3-5) 19 Rob follows true believer (6) 22 See 12 24 Deranged pariah, alone with a musical instrument (7,4) 26 Beneficiary just articulated travel cost (7) 27 Nonnative plants and animals coexist uneasily (7) 28 Westbound streetcar, around six on Thursday, ought to produce an analytic system that might help you identify the loveless men at the end of three Across entries (7,7) DOWN 1 China removing limits for aquatic mammal (5) 2 One hundred fix a feeling of elation (5,4) 3 Polish a religious image in a historic river (7) 4 Announce new Lear production in high definition (6) 5 Composer improved her swing (8) 6 Part of force, if regimented? (7) 7 For example, Kafka in examination for auditors (5) 8 Famous Argentine stunt: remix old joke (8) 13 European raincoat is ragged (8) 15 Frowning and somber over getting 100% (9) 16 Fans of rock band put on shirts (8) 18 Peter surrounds Hal with unknown soldiers in a line (7) 20 No halos disturbed interstellar smuggler (3,4) 21 Listen inappropriately, making no noise (6) 23 Honor Marilyn, displaying her first name (5) 25 Assignment involves one postulate (5) SOLUTION TO PUZZLE NO. 3348 ACROSS 1 anag. 9 NAT (rev.) + TIER 10 anag. 11 FREN + ETIC (rev.) 12 na[t]tier anag. 13 hidden 14 pun 17 C[hap]lin (&lit.) 19 hidden 22 2 defs. 23 anag. 25 anag. 26 TITANI (anag.) + C 29 pun DOWN 1, 7A, 27D, 28A CAN + DID + CAM +ERA 2 AN + TWERP 3 D + RIVER 4 MAR + DIG + RAS[h] 5 rev. 6 TRA(VEST)Y 7 DE(I)CIDE 8 DENT(ALF)LOSS 11 FAR + THING + ALE 15 anag. 16 DE(MO)LISH 18 PA + LOOK + A 20 C(HI)AN’T I 21 GOETH + E 24 rev.
Dec 23, 2014 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto
Zephyr Teachout, Hands Up United and John Oliver Made Our 2014 Progressive Honor Roll. Who Else Made the List? Zephyr Teachout, Hands Up United and John Oliver Made Our 2014 Progressive Honor Roll. Who Else Made the List?
From the huge climate march in September to racial-justice activism, it was a year that saw renewal of movement-based politics.
Dec 22, 2014 / Feature / John Nichols