Pomp and Shame Pomp and Shame
The ascendency of George W. Bush to the presidency exposes stark dissatisfaction in the United States.
Jan 18, 2001 / The Editors
The Summer House The Summer House
After a hard rain, a sudden clearing. Puddles shine on the gravel path Winding down to the meadow where smoky wisps Rise from the warm ground, low earth clouds That thin and vanish; and now The birds start up again, and the crickets. What if a happy life is only a long succession Of happy moments; if they come unbidden And the virtue that serves us best is simple readiness, Mere openness to the occasion, if the sycamore Swaying whenever the wind moves by Serves as our great exemplar, sage, and prophet? I hope not. I hope the efforts I've made To claim my life as my own and give it meaning Lead in the end to a happiness more alive And lasting than any that fortune offers Whenever she pleases, the random bounty Impossible to anticipate or encourage. My efforts, my patching of roofs and windows, The writing of invitations, the widening of my guest list, The mastery of guitar chords, the library work On the history of landscape in water color and oils, What exactly they add to the world of hills and valleys That the hills and valleys should be grateful for. And then this hard rain and sudden clearing, This low sun, these rosy clouds that I interpret As proof I'm included in the lucky flow of gifts Circling the earth, offering me a welcome Hard to resist, without conditions or reservations, With nothing expected of me, nothing to be earned.
Jan 18, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Carl Dennis
A Taste for Desert Landscapes? A Taste for Desert Landscapes?
A review of Sol LeWitt's Autobiography.
Jan 18, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Arthur C. Danto
None Dare Call It Treason None Dare Call It Treason
Five Supreme Court Justices are criminals in the truest sense of the word.
Jan 18, 2001 / Feature / Vincent Bugliosi
Did Ashcroft Take the Low Road on the Highroad? Did Ashcroft Take the Low Road on the Highroad?
When George W.
Jan 15, 2001 / Feature / David Corn and Dan Moldea
Letters Letters
THE CHAD MAN COMETH... Providence, R.I. For nearly four decades, the fine New York Yankee outfielder, Roger Maris, suffered the ignominy of the asterisk after his...
Jan 12, 2001 / Our Readers
No Nukes=Better Health No Nukes=Better Health
There wasn't much good news to report from the year 2000, but topping the list in health terms was the long-overdue final shutdown of the Chernobyl nuclear power station on Decem...
Jan 12, 2001 / Harvey Wasserman
All That Jazz All That Jazz
Let's cut to the chase on Ken Burns's Jazz, which rolled out on PBS January 8, by invoking Wallace Stevens. 1) Is it entertaining TV? Mostly, in PBS fashion. ...
Jan 12, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Gene Santoro
The Man From Elroy The Man From Elroy
To a degree that's hard to appreciate outside Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson's impending move to Washington to become Secretary of Health and Human Services will transform this state'...
Jan 12, 2001 / Feature / Joel Rogers
Circus Maximus Circus Maximus
We're sorry, but we do not have permission to present this article on our website. It is an excerpt from Upside Down: A Primer for the Looking-Glass World (Metropolitan). © ...
Jan 12, 2001 / Books & the Arts / Eduardo Galeano