Books and Ideas

Throes of Creation

The Intuitionist The Intuitionist

Writers write by trying to find out what it is they're writing.

May 1, 2003 / Books & the Arts / E.L. Doctorow

The Revell Variations The Revell Variations

How much, in just twenty years, Donald Revell has changed! From the Abandoned Cities (1983), his debut volume, included a villanelle, a sestina, rhymed sonnets and meditative t...

Apr 24, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Burt

Minority Report Minority Report

Ever since Clark Kent first donned a pair of oversized glasses and, somewhat improbably, hid his Superman persona from Lois Lane, questions of identity have been a staple of th...

Apr 24, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Alan Jenkins

What Are They Reading? What Are They Reading?

"The Moviegoer," by Walker Percy

Apr 18, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Christopher Swetala

Clash of Visualizations Clash of Visualizations

Consider this hypothetical situation.

Apr 10, 2003 / Books & the Arts / George Scialabba

The New Globetrotters The New Globetrotters

Globalization: Use this word in a sentence, especially as the cause of something bad, and you will get knowing nods all around.

Apr 10, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Susan J. Douglas

Among the Gilded Paupers Among the Gilded Paupers

The quest for El Dorado, the mythic city of gold, is at the heart of the tumultuous history of the Americas.

Apr 10, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Anderson Tepper

The Little Mermaid’s Fortune-Teller The Little Mermaid’s Fortune-Teller

Refracted through your tide-washed hours, this prince
drifts through algid brine, kelp-wound: his ship has foundered
in your sky. For his sake you discover land, build

Apr 10, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Reginald Shepherd

Hors de Combat Hors de Combat

She's the ultimate quick-change artist, with a style that can absorb any trend and an image to match. She's gone from material girl to S/M maitresse, from power diva to content...

Apr 9, 2003 / Books & the Arts / Richard Goldstein

Diversity and Its Malcontents Diversity and Its Malcontents

David L. Kirp has chronicled the Mount Laurel, New Jersey, history in Almost Home: America's Love-Hate Relationship with Community (Princeton).

Apr 3, 2003 / Books & the Arts / David Kirp

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