Art of the Free and Brave Art of the Free and Brave

A woman I know once agreed to take a young Asian child to visit a school in New York, to which her distant parents considered sending her.

Apr 20, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Arthur C. Danto

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

In Moby-Dick, in the chapter "The Fossil Whale," Ishmael proclaims: "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." The theme of Joyce Carol Oates's Blonde--well, it'...

Apr 20, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Lawrence Joseph

Semper Fi, But Why? Semper Fi, But Why?

Were I to tell you that Rules of Engagement features a protracted fistfight between Samuel L.

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

The Compleat Walker The Compleat Walker

Shortly before he died, Bruce Chatwin found God. This was on top of Mount Athos, after which he left for Katmandu. Looking down from the bees and grapes, he had seen an iron cros...

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / John Leonard

Poetry Poetry

After Troy

Not quite putting on what little power or knowledge
pigeons lay claim to, she nonetheless bids them come.
Launched off cornices,

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Various Contributors

Reparting the Waters Reparting the Waters

It is delightfully ironic that a site has been approved for the construction of a monument in Martin Luther King Jr.'s name on the Washington Mall, given that in the last months ...

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Jason Sokol

Decline of the West Decline of the West

"I just wanted to give a taste of what it feels like to be two-sided," said Sam Shepard, explaining his motivation for writing True West. "It's a real thing, double nature.

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / David Yaffe

He Took a Village He Took a Village

In the role of New Yorker writer Joseph Mitchell--source and subject alike of Joe Gould's Secret--Stanley Tucci adopts the hesitant drawl of a displaced Southern aristocrat, who ...

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

Her Own Lambs and Falcons Her Own Lambs and Falcons

It really is about time we had the letters of Rebecca West.

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Georgette Fleischer

Talking ‘Anarchy’ With Chomsky Talking ‘Anarchy’ With Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a longtime political activist, writer and professor of linguistics at MIT.