The Kingston Trio and the Red Scare The Kingston Trio and the Red Scare
The death of Nick Reynolds, one of the Kingston Trio, last week at 75, provoked fond memories of one era and painful reminders of another.
Oct 14, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Peter Dreier and Jim Vrabel
Civic Virtues: Gore Vidal’s Selected Essays Civic Virtues: Gore Vidal’s Selected Essays
A new collection of Gore Vidal's essays showcases five decades of literary and political criticism, with his mocking, disenchanted patriotism in all its eloquence.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / George Scialabba
Lords of Misrule: Thomas Frank Takes on the GOP Lords of Misrule: Thomas Frank Takes on the GOP
On the campaign trail, they're culture warriors; once in office, conservatives just follow the money.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Jefferson Decker
Credenzas of Fragmentation: Lobo Antunes’s Decadent Despair Credenzas of Fragmentation: Lobo Antunes’s Decadent Despair
In António Lobo Antunes's new novel, a lost boy despairs of finding a real family in the wasteland of his past.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Natasha Wimmer
Panoramas: ’24 City,’ ‘Ashes of Time Redux,’ ‘Happy-Go-Lucky Panoramas: ’24 City,’ ‘Ashes of Time Redux,’ ‘Happy-Go-Lucky
24 City and Ashes of Time Redux, two stars of the New York Film Festival; plus Happy-Go-Lucky and Ballast reviewed.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
Prison Poem: “You stripped away the sea… #11” Prison Poem: “You stripped away the sea… #11”
After stripping me of the seas, a scattering & running start, And giving me instead a foothold of violent earth, What'd it get you? A brilliant retribution: You couldn't seize these lips still stirring. (Translated from the Russian by John High)
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Osip Mandelstam
Wanted: Political Poetry Wanted: Political Poetry
Are you worried about the election? Do you write haiku? People for the American Way and The Nation invite your entries the McPalin Haiku Hysteria competition.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Erica Landau
Lee Atwater’s Legacy Lee Atwater’s Legacy
Rebel. Liar. Attack dog. Bigot. Stefan Forbes's Boogie Man assesses the enduring damage Lee Atwater did to our political process.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Antonino D’Ambrosio
McCain and W. McCain and W.
McCain's not a perfect replica, but Oliver Stone's Bush bio-pic reminds us they're two spoiled screw-ups who divided and conquered the country for their high-rolling pals.
Oct 8, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Robert Scheer
Krapp’s Last Horse Krapp’s Last Horse
With his new play Kicking a Dead Horse, Sam Shepard is still stranded in a prairie of tough-guy cliché.
Oct 7, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Akiva Gottlieb