Culture

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Eric on Smithsonian's Jazz anthology and Reed Richardson on the S&P's rating of the bond market.

Apr 22, 2011 / Blog / Eric Alterman

Memo to a Wall Street Highflier Memo to a Wall Street Highflier

“After Widespread Reckless Banking, Dearth of Prosecutions”          —Subhead in the New York Times   It’s more than likely that you caused this wreck By schemes like selling what you knew was dreck. And ordinary folks have paid the cost: Their homes are gone, their livelihoods are lost. But friends on high have guaranteed the onus Is not on you. Relax. Pick up your bonus.

Apr 21, 2011 / Column / Calvin Trillin

The Cursi Affair: On Manuel Puig

The Cursi Affair: On Manuel Puig The Cursi Affair: On Manuel Puig

The Latin Boom writers failed to appreciate the work of fellow novelist Manuel Puig, who wrote about housewives and homosexuals.

Apr 21, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Natasha Wimmer

The Idler: On Geoff Dyer The Idler: On Geoff Dyer

Freedom to do just what he pleases defines the life and writing of Geoff Dyer.

Apr 21, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Scott Sherman

Confession Confession

I read the chemistry so I think of my windows as thick syrup and I do see a whole world stuck to them so I believe it Somehow twenty pelicans just now escaped with their shadows but the oaks and palmettos are struggling wildly to get loose If they can’t do it with a thousand hands how could we with two Our predicament had been holding two things true at the same time It was worse actually We knew truth between them and did nothing

Apr 21, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Allan Peterson

Shostakovich’s Ambivalence Shostakovich’s Ambivalence

The musical and political strands of Dmitri Shostakovich's life were intertwined like the braids of a noose.

Apr 21, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Michael O’Donnell

A Bare-Bones Analysis of Tim Pawlenty’s Candidacy A Bare-Bones Analysis of Tim Pawlenty’s Candidacy

The news from Minnesota‘s Tim Pawlenty Is Tim Pawlenty‘s in New Hampshire plenty. He hopes to win in ’12, ’16 or ’20. But that’s not likely, say the cognoscenti.

Apr 17, 2011 / Column / Calvin Trillin

Tangled Up in Unbelievable Foolishness Tangled Up in Unbelievable Foolishness

Eric Alterman reviews jazz, including Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton, the Jazz Foundation benefit, and Reed Richardson discusses the ethics of Obama's budget speech.

Apr 15, 2011 / Blog / Eric Alterman

Yet Another Chapter in Trickle-Down Economics Yet Another Chapter in Trickle-Down Economics

“C.E.O.’s in finance, technology, energy and beyond are pulling down multimillion-dollar paychecks. What many of these executives aren’t doing, however, is hiring.”      —the New York Times   If you await a downward trickle, You’ve just received a wooden nickel.

Apr 14, 2011 / Column / Calvin Trillin

How Socialists Built America

How Socialists Built America How Socialists Built America

The history of our nation has many rich and vibrant hues—some of them red.

Apr 13, 2011 / Books & the Arts / John Nichols

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