The Osprey The Osprey
or sea-eagle, what the guidebook says is white, grayish brown, and “possessed of weak eye- masks” in its non-migratory island instance, is blue. Blue, riding thermal bands so low over the water it picks up the water’s color, reticulate tarsi tipping the light crests; and picks up one of the silver fish cutting the surface there, so the fish is blue, too, flapping-gone- slack in the grasp of its claws—as only the owl shares an outer reversible toe-talon, turned out for such clutching; as the water, in turn, picks up the sky- depth reflective blue sent down from ages beyond, into which the osprey lifts now without a least turning of wing-chord though “they are able to bend the joint in their wing to shield their eyes from the light”; what I mean is, by the time I tell you this it’s gone: fish-and-bird, this “bone-breaker,” brown or gray “diurnal raptor,” back into the higher trades. Someday, too, this blue—
Nov 25, 2014 / Books & the Arts / David Baker
Transmission Transmission
So he who strongly feels, behaves. —Marianne Moore You find in an alley the mouthpiece of a flute. Gossip alone makes music and suddenly from the pines the birds all fly away. You are devoted to giving clear meaning to one movement. The water in the fountain. Down the fountain. Over it. The prayer chapel but its brick bench. Magnolias in almost bloom. The failure to believe in mathematics is a failure of emotion— you have spent all of your free time. Choral directors describe the torso in terms of the muscles of sound. Your wife paints your two-year-old’s fingernails and the two-year-old says, toes too! Sitting next to an anthill feels like this. They work so hard. And for so little. For salvation. This is the mystery. This is forgiveness.
Nov 25, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Gary L. McDowell
Imitations of Life Imitations of Life
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing as a creature of secrets in The Imitation Game.
Nov 25, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 11/20/14? What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 11/20/14?
What are interns reading for the week of 11/20/14?
Nov 21, 2014 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation
Remembering Mike Nichols Remembering Mike Nichols
Hamilton Fish remembers legendary film director and creative force behind 'The Graduate', Mike Nichols.
Nov 20, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Hamilton Fish
Post-Midterm Political Coverage of GOP Extremism Fits the Definition of Media Absurdity Post-Midterm Political Coverage of GOP Extremism Fits the Definition of Media Absurdity
Eric on this week in concerts and new music releases and Reed on how the mainstream press is always trying to tell the same (false) story about the Republican Party.
Nov 17, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman and Reed Richardson
What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 11/13/14? What Are ‘Nation’ Interns Reading the Week of 11/13/14?
What are interns reading for the week of 11/13/14?
Nov 14, 2014 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation
More ‘Wild Tales’: An Interview With Graham Nash More ‘Wild Tales’: An Interview With Graham Nash
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer explains why climate change is the overriding issue of our time, talks at length about his relationship with Joni Mitchell and discusses life with D...
Nov 14, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman
The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Revisited The Fall of the Berlin Wall, Revisited
Twenty-five years ago, Eric Alterman reminded us that the so-called “experts” were wrong about the Berlin Wall. Some things haven’t changed much.
Nov 12, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman
Fall Interns’ Recommended Reading Fall Interns’ Recommended Reading
Need some reading suggestions? See below for recommended reads from our brilliant group of fall interns:
Nov 12, 2014 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation