Letter from Kabul Letter from Kabul
(Women for Afghan Women, a humanitarian organization I've supported for many years, runs a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Kabul, and a smaller one in ...
Aug 19, 2009 / Katha Pollitt
Perils of the Poetry Reading Perils of the Poetry Reading
Am I the only person who finds it hard to follow an unfamiliar poem when I hear it read out loud and don't have the text in front of me? Even when reading to myself at my own ...
Aug 19, 2009 / Katha Pollitt
Healthcare We Can Believe In Healthcare We Can Believe In
Polls show most Americans still want reform. But polls don't mean much politically if everyone stays quiet. Never mind wonkery--we need a movement.
Aug 12, 2009 / Column / Katha Pollitt
Lubna Hussein, Hero Lubna Hussein, Hero
When the subject of Islamic dress comes up, it's often phrased the way President Obama put it in his Cairo speech -- as women's right to wear what they want. Hear, hear. ...
Aug 10, 2009 / Katha Pollitt
Readers Real and Ideal Readers Real and Ideal
(I posted this at The Best American Poetry last Friday. I'm going to be blogging there regularly about poetry. I hope you'll take a look.) I love the Gertrude Stein quip David ...
Aug 10, 2009 / Katha Pollitt
Whom do you Write your Poems for? Whom do you Write your Poems for?
It's easy to describe the readers I have in mind when I write my column in The Nation: the 185,000 Nation subscribers, who are mostly liberals, progressives and leftists of vari...
Aug 7, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Katha Pollitt
Poems about Poems: Why Not? Poems about Poems: Why Not?
Is there something wrong with writing poems about writing poems? And if so, what? My friend Richard Howard was the first person who told me he didn't approve of that subject, but ...
Aug 5, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Katha Pollitt
Complain, Complain: Poems about Writing Poetry Complain, Complain: Poems about Writing Poetry
Now for something completely different. This week I'm guest-blogging at The Best American Poetry. So much fun! I'll be putting up here what I wrote over there the day before.
Aug 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Katha Pollitt
Can This Marriage Be Saved? Can This Marriage Be Saved?
We could bash divorce forever, but what's the point? Even Jesus can't keep unhappy spouses together.
Jul 15, 2009 / Column / Katha Pollitt
Muslim Women’s Rights, Continued Muslim Women’s Rights, Continued
The massive participation by women in Iran's street demonstrations is surprising only if you accept the mullahs' view of women as weak and passive vessels.
Jun 24, 2009 / Column / Katha Pollitt