Books and Ideas

The Kiss The Kiss

You may find reading Akhil Sharma's debut novel akin to having your head held underwater. Attendant with feelings of a relentless, choking panic, though, will be an almost preter...

Oct 19, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Amitava Kumar

The Rise of Market Populism The Rise of Market Populism

It offers a blatant apologia for economic inequality--but few question the faith.

Oct 12, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Frank

Muddle in the Middle, or The Class Act in Politics Muddle in the Middle, or The Class Act in Politics

Ruy Teixeira and Joel Rogers's America's Forgotten Majority has been credited with convincing Al Gore last summer to adopt a populist campaign strategy built around "working fami...

Oct 12, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Jack Metzgar

Orient Expressed: Imagism Orient Expressed: Imagism

However varied their styles, poets writing in English today still rely on the early-twentieth-century Imagist principles of clarity, directness, presentative imagery and rhythm b...

Oct 12, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Grace Schulman

The Cartography of Death The Cartography of Death

Certainly...get him hanged! Why not? Anything--anything can be done in this country. --Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness So here we are, barely into the next century, and...

Oct 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Tom Engelhardt

House Finches House Finches

To watch the pair of house finches that frequent the neighbor's feeder, I leave the charcoal blinds pulled up. The berry-splashed chest of the male-- each morning--make...

Oct 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / John Poch

North of the Border North of the Border

One of the most haunting images in David Riker's film La Ciudad is of the New York City skyline seen from a work site miles away from midtown. There, a group of Hispanic dayworke...

Sep 28, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Michael Ugarte

Rereading Old Writing Rereading Old Writing

Looking back, the language scribbles. What's hidden, having been said? Almost everything? Thrilling to think There was a secret there somewhere, A bird singing in the heart'...

Sep 28, 2000 / Books & the Arts / David Ferry

Nocturnal Nocturnal

It is always among sleepers we walk. We walk in their dreams. None of us Knows what he is as he walks In the dream of another. Tell me my name . Your tongue is blurred, ho...

Sep 28, 2000 / Books & the Arts / David Ferry

from ‘That Evening at Dinner’ from ‘That Evening at Dinner’

By the last few times we saw her it was clear That things were different. When you tried to help her Get out of the car or get from the car to the door Or across the apartme...

Sep 28, 2000 / Books & the Arts / David Ferry

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