Books and Ideas

Exit Santorum Exit Santorum

With Rick getting out, the Whack-a-Mole’s over. The last mole’s been whacked, and Mitt is in clover. The clover smells good, but here is the riddle: Can Romney now move it a bit toward the middle? By dropping the wacko-right banner he’s gripping, Will he be accused of more flopping and flipping?

Apr 18, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin

In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo

In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo In Annawadi: On Katherine Boo

Behind the Beautiful Forevers is a superb, empathic account of life in a Mumbai undercity.

Apr 17, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Laila Lalami

Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan Ideology and Electricity: The Soviet Experience in Afghanistan

Rodric Braithwaite, Jonathan Steele and Artemy Kalinovsky analyze the forgotten history of Afghan communism and the Soviet occupation.

Apr 17, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Christian Parenti

On Feminism and Sadomasochistic Sex On Feminism and Sadomasochistic Sex

Katie Roiphe's Newsweek cover story ignores the fact that in every century and decade, sadomasochistic erotica has broken into the mainstream.

Apr 16, 2012 / Blog / Dana Goldstein

The Republican National Committee Selects a Campaign Slogan The Republican National Committee Selects a Campaign Slogan

Our slogan’s been chosen. We think it’s a hit. We’ll shout from the rafters, “We settle for Mitt!”

Apr 11, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin

Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry

Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry Among the Tufted Canes: Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry

Geoffrey Brock’s anthology of twentieth-century Italian poetry offers the risk of a counter-eloquence.

Apr 11, 2012 / Books & the Arts / James Longenbach

Shelf Life Shelf Life

Norman Davies’s Vanished Kingdoms.

Apr 10, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Meaney

Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira

Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira

Varamo is the latest novel-in-translation from Argentina’s slipperiest living writer.

Apr 10, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Marcela Valdes

End of the Line? End of the Line?

“Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas billionaire who has been the biggest backer to a group supporting Newt Gingrich, said this week that Mr. Gingrich had reached ‘the end of his line’ in his bid for the presidency.” —New York Times   So Newt’s coming closer to facing defeat? His main sugar daddy’s no longer so sweet. And Newt never was: why, when he had the power Of all of that sugar, he still sounded sour.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Calvin Trillin

A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller

A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller

A nineteenth-century feminist's exceptional life.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Vivian Gornick

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