The Gutted Writ: On Habeas Corpus The Gutted Writ: On Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus rescued Walter Rideau from an unjust prison sentence, but during its long history the great writ has been used to muffle the sighs of prisoners as much as to reliev...
Dec 22, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Robert Perkinson
Shelf Life: On Philip Guston, Carolee Scheemann and Ilya Kabakov Shelf Life: On Philip Guston, Carolee Scheemann and Ilya Kabakov
The truly consequential choices an artist makes are never experienced as choice but as necessity.
Dec 22, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky
Spin Cycle: On Tim Wu and Kevin Kelly Spin Cycle: On Tim Wu and Kevin Kelly
Tim Wu and Kevin Kelly speak for a new technocracy, and their new books epitomize its myopia, libertarianism and frustration with the political system.
Dec 22, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Paul Duguid
The American Civil War Still Being Fought The American Civil War Still Being Fought
Some dispute the role of slavery as the central cause of the war, but we remain prisoners of the past if we do not face this fact.
Dec 21, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Eric Foner
An Inventory of the Missing: On Frederic Tuten An Inventory of the Missing: On Frederic Tuten
Frederic Tuten's Self Portraits is a backward glance on life that's vital, wistful and filled with sweet ache.
Dec 16, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Ben Ehrenreich
Quote of the Day: Dr. K.’s Holocaust Quote of the Day: Dr. K.’s Holocaust
The ultimate "realist" goes a bit too far.
Dec 11, 2010 / Blog / Bob Dreyfuss
Take the Back Seat: On Chinese Consumerism Take the Back Seat: On Chinese Consumerism
Can the world sustain a country the size of China with an appetite for the good things in life on par with America's?
Dec 9, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Richard McGregor
Kilito’s Way: On Abdelfattah Kilito Kilito’s Way: On Abdelfattah Kilito
In The Clash of Images Abdelfattah Kilito creates a touching portrait of a young man coming of age in French-occupied Morocco.
Dec 9, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Laila Lalami
Obama’s Bizarre Celebration of a Slave Republic’s ‘Compromises’ Obama’s Bizarre Celebration of a Slave Republic’s ‘Compromises’
The president said many objectionable things in selling his tax- cut plan, but his assertions about America's history of compromising was too much to stomach.
Dec 8, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Kai Wright
A Puzzler’s Puzzler: On Frank W. Lewis A Puzzler’s Puzzler: On Frank W. Lewis
Lewis was a true Renaissance man, a lover of music, history, literature, language, botany, geography, sports, boating, cards—the list is endless—all of which enliven hi...
Dec 2, 2010 / Crossword / Judith Long