Extreme Indolence: On the Fiction of Albert Cossery Extreme Indolence: On the Fiction of Albert Cossery
For Albert Cossery, the world is split between those who respect a cause and those who don’t give a tinker's damn.
May 22, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Mark Polizzotti
This Week in Poverty: A Little Help for the Long-Term Unemployed? This Week in Poverty: A Little Help for the Long-Term Unemployed?
230,000 long-term unemployed workers lost their benefits on Sunday and the system is about to get a whole lot worse.
May 18, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Greg Kaufmann
Ohio Ohio
(A 2012 version of the Wonderful Town classic) With the rest of the states either solidly red or solidly blue, the election will be decided in nine or ten swing states. —News reports Why oh why oh why oh? Why did I ever leave Ohio? Why did I locate where, since it’s no swing state, Pollsters don’t trouble to track? Zero is my vote’s weight. Reason to vote? That’s what I lack. Oh why oh why oh did I leave Ohio? Maybe I better go O-H-I-O, Where I could have my vote back.
May 16, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin
Blind Spot: On Christa Wolf Blind Spot: On Christa Wolf
A postwar German novelist’s complicated legacy.
May 16, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Holly Case
Mother Natures: On Elisabeth Badinter Mother Natures: On Elisabeth Badinter
In The Conflict, the French intellectual takes American mothering to task.
May 16, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Szalai
‘I Was There’: On Kurt Vonnegut ‘I Was There’: On Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut sought to fool us with his eyes wide open.
May 16, 2012 / Books & the Arts / William Deresiewicz
Adieu, Sarkozy Adieu, Sarkozy
We now must bid adieu to Sarkozy He swerved hard to the right, comme Mitt ici (Mais oui: exactement comme Mitt Romnéy), And said austerity is what’s to be. The French apparently did not agree: The voters sent him packing, COD.
May 9, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin
Grand Flattery: The Yale Grand Strategy Seminar Grand Flattery: The Yale Grand Strategy Seminar
Why are Yale and other top universities teaching a Grand Strategy seminar if the conditions that seemed to call for grand strategizing no longer exist?
May 9, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Meaney and Stephen Wertheim
An Enduring Condition: On War Time An Enduring Condition: On War Time
For Mary Dudziak, we are now experiencing a time of permanent war, one that does not bother everyday Americans.
May 9, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Peter Maass
Newt Departs From the Island of Poliwonks Newt Departs From the Island of Poliwonks
(The saddest leave-taking since Max left the Wild Things) “Don’t go!” all the poliwonks started to croon. “What other Republican dared to harpoon The Mittster for being a heartless tycoon? Who’s left to start planning a town on the moon, As if he had stepped from the pages of Dune? Who never did hesitate once to impugn The press—his best foil—when it seemed opportune? Oh why, Newt, oh why must you leave us so soon?” But Newt, though quite portly, as well as jejune, Just floated away, like a hot air balloon.
May 2, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin