A Taste for Desert Landscapes? A Taste for Desert Landscapes?
A review of Sol LeWitt's Autobiography.
Jan 18, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Arthur C. Danto
The Summer House The Summer House
After a hard rain, a sudden clearing. Puddles shine on the gravel path Winding down to the meadow where smoky wisps Rise from the warm ground, low earth clouds That thin and vanish; and now The birds start up again, and the crickets. What if a happy life is only a long succession Of happy moments; if they come unbidden And the virtue that serves us best is simple readiness, Mere openness to the occasion, if the sycamore Swaying whenever the wind moves by Serves as our great exemplar, sage, and prophet? I hope not. I hope the efforts I've made To claim my life as my own and give it meaning Lead in the end to a happiness more alive And lasting than any that fortune offers Whenever she pleases, the random bounty Impossible to anticipate or encourage. My efforts, my patching of roofs and windows, The writing of invitations, the widening of my guest list, The mastery of guitar chords, the library work On the history of landscape in water color and oils, What exactly they add to the world of hills and valleys That the hills and valleys should be grateful for. And then this hard rain and sudden clearing, This low sun, these rosy clouds that I interpret As proof I'm included in the lucky flow of gifts Circling the earth, offering me a welcome Hard to resist, without conditions or reservations, With nothing expected of me, nothing to be earned.
Jan 18, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Carl Dennis
Pomp and Shame Pomp and Shame
The ascendency of George W. Bush to the presidency exposes stark dissatisfaction in the United States.
Jan 18, 2001 / The Editors
The ‘Tiananmen Papers’ The ‘Tiananmen Papers’
Files leaked from China show that country's leadership to have conspired against their own people during the Tiananmen protests—but are the documents genuine?
Jan 18, 2001 / Edward Jay Epstein
Southern Comfort Southern Comfort
The likely Bush cabinet will have some who have shown sympathy for the Southern Confederacy—a disturbing trend in the late twentieth century.
Jan 18, 2001 / Eric Foner
Deep in the Heart of Texas Deep in the Heart of Texas
George W. Bush's and Dick Cheney's 'hearts' are in the right place.
Jan 18, 2001 / Column / Christopher Hitchens
The Reel Drug War The Reel Drug War
Steven Soderbergh's Traffic—for all its flaws—illustrates how the United States' is deluding itself in its crusade against drugs.
Jan 18, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Michael Massing
Did Ashcroft Take the Low Road on the Highroad? Did Ashcroft Take the Low Road on the Highroad?
When George W.
Jan 15, 2001 / Feature / David Corn and Dan Moldea
The Man From Elroy The Man From Elroy
To a degree that's hard to appreciate outside Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson's impending move to Washington to become Secretary of Health and Human Services will transform this state'...
Jan 12, 2001 / Feature / Joel Rogers
All That Jazz All That Jazz
Let's cut to the chase on Ken Burns's Jazz, which rolled out on PBS January 8, by invoking Wallace Stevens. 1) Is it entertaining TV? Mostly, in PBS fashion. ...
Jan 12, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Gene Santoro