Shelf Life Shelf Life
Jean-Patrick Manchette’s Fatale, Binyavanga Wainaina’s One Day I Will Write About This Place, Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s The History of Costaguana
Oct 5, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Alexandra Schwartz
Getting to Denmark: On Francis Fukuyama Getting to Denmark: On Francis Fukuyama
The Origins of Political Order, a work of total world history, pits the old Fukuyama against the new.
Oct 5, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Meaney
Top Ten Songs About Class Top Ten Songs About Class
Since every great protest movement needs its culture, here's my stab at a list of the ten best songs ever written about class and poverty in tribute to #OccupyWallStreet.
Oct 3, 2011 / Blog / Peter Rothberg
The Search The Search
The far right looked for someone who’d befit The ticket—that is, someone not named Mitt But someone who could strongly lead the nation Without the faintest whiff of moderation. Chris Christie thought about it, then said nyet, And Bachmann was the quickest flopper yet. It looked like Perry was the right’s white hope, But now they’re saying Perry’s just a dope. So who will they convince now to get in? The time is short. Their bench is looking thin.
Sep 28, 2011 / Column / Calvin Trillin
Cruel America Cruel America
Roars of applause for executions at the GOP debate, official approval of torture, barbaric prison conditions, obstruction of aid to storm victims and children in need—is our ...
Sep 28, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Jonathan Schell
After Deng: On China’s Transformation After Deng: On China’s Transformation
Is Deng Xiaoping’s legacy of modernization without political reform one that no contemporary Chinese official can control?
Sep 27, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Joshua Kurlantzick
The Planetary Currents The Planetary Currents
We live on the third rock from the sun In our living rooms We handle the remote and touch off integrated circuits compelling content, non-integrated circuits such as the chitlin’ circuit, and disintegrated circuits such as the extended family now stretched across six continents Plus one under ice The rapid flows of global capital Put us to sleep and wake us We come on in on a wing and a come on We slide right across the ice We stop to catch up, so like a breathing tree Instead of reading about the unconscious we decide to enter it, that is, by falling asleep Dream of a document signed by CEO William K. Tasker by which we are offered a position as director of corporate communications for a company called Correct We are romantics still, who stand and/or sit in shade Looking straight down to the valley floor Vertiginous, lofty, cerebral, lazy and tight This poem may be recorded for quality assurance purposes There we encounter planets whose colors we shall not forget
Sep 27, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Kit Robinson
The Planetary Currents The Planetary Currents
We live on the third rock from the sun In our living rooms We handle the remote and touch off integrated circuits compelling content, non-integrated circuits such as the chitlin’ circuit, and disintegrated circuits such as the extended family now stretched across six continents Plus one under ice The rapid flows of global capital Put us to sleep and wake us We come on in on a wing and a come on We slide right across the ice We stop to catch up, so like a breathing tree Instead of reading about the unconscious we decide to enter it, that is, by falling asleep Dream of a document signed by CEO William K. Tasker by which we are offered a position as director of corporate communications for a company called Correct We are romantics still, who stand and/or sit in shade Looking straight down to the valley floor Vertiginous, lofty, cerebral, lazy and tight This poem may be recorded for quality assurance purposes There we encounter planets whose colors we shall not forget
Sep 27, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Kit Robinson
In the Middle of Life: On Tadeusz Rózewicz In the Middle of Life: On Tadeusz Rózewicz
A Polish poet’s searing and confused lyricism.
Sep 27, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Grotz
Twin Legacies: The World Trade Center and Manhattan’s Development Twin Legacies: The World Trade Center and Manhattan’s Development
The World Trade Center paved over a patchwork of industrial docks and community businesses to become a planned community catering to high finance.
Sep 22, 2011 / Books & the Arts / The Nation and Francis Reynolds