Autumn Journal Autumn Journal
Gingerly the moon moves near the hilltop church and slides around the transept, slow, to peer inside the cloister. No: those are not friars there, but children… outside their nests. She rests against a brim of wind. Their wings are hurt… But lying in ordered rows of narrow beds they’re all asleep, as if they’re tired. Tired from flying, at least in dreams, and so in dreams their mothers hold them close against warm skin. The moon, she listens in. She doesn’t want to wake them, she only wants to see. And then she leaves, but rises high. She needs to make the hilltops gleam, and drape a sheen across the sea, but too she sends a beam back down to where the children sleep. And up she climbs, up through the sky, the high good sky, and searches far and wide to find the stars. Where are the stars? She scans the sky. Where can they be? She wants to tell the faultless virgin stars what she has seen. (translated from the Italian by Taije Silverman and Marina Della Putta Johnston)
Feb 11, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Giovanni Pascoli
Beyond Naturalism: On Ronald Dworkin Beyond Naturalism: On Ronald Dworkin
How did an essential figure in the modern revival of liberal political philosophy end up pondering issues of theology?
Feb 11, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Michael Rosen
Puzzle No. 3314 Puzzle No. 3314
And don’t miss Kosman and Picciotto’s crossword blog, Word Salad.
Feb 11, 2014 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto
Thousands of Young People Participate in Raleigh’s Moral Monday Thousands of Young People Participate in Raleigh’s Moral Monday
Raleigh's first Moral Monday march of the year draws a diverse group of activists including teachers, and members of the NAACP and Planned Parenthood.
Feb 11, 2014 / StudentNation / Tara Jeffries and StudentNation
Chris Christie Bullies Again Chris Christie Bullies Again
Despite his claims of a newfound humility, Christie’s intimidation machine keeps humming along.
Feb 11, 2014 / Leslie Savan
The Fight Against Mass Surveillance The Fight Against Mass Surveillance
Today more than 5,000 organizations, including The Nation, are participating in “The Day We Fight Back” a worldwide day of activism in opposition to the NSA’s mas...
Feb 11, 2014 / Peter Rothberg
Congress Will Restore Military Pension Cuts, But Ignore Federal Workers Congress Will Restore Military Pension Cuts, But Ignore Federal Workers
Congress will soon reverse cuts to military pensions--but civilian workers won't be seeing any such relief.
Feb 11, 2014 / George Zornick
How to Create a Thug How to Create a Thug
At age 27, I know I have a future. At 19, I didn’t.
Feb 11, 2014 / Mychal Denzel Smith
Toward Better Invisible Primary Press Coverage: Fewer Polls, More Policy Toward Better Invisible Primary Press Coverage: Fewer Polls, More Policy
Eric with the latest reviews and Reed on what's wrong with how the media covers the primary.
Feb 11, 2014 / Eric Alterman and Reed Richardson
A Bad Idea: Using Military Force to Aid Syria’s Population A Bad Idea: Using Military Force to Aid Syria’s Population
R2P is a weapon for liberal interventionists and a tool for their allies, the old-fashioned conservative interventionists, too.
Feb 11, 2014 / Bob Dreyfuss