A Professional Victim: On Ira B. Arnstein A Professional Victim: On Ira B. Arnstein
How music plagiarism ruined a composer’s career and literally drove him mad.
Apr 30, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Caleb Crain
Penzance Penzance
What if only your rich friends are beautiful? What if only they have exotic varieties of hydrangeas? It’s so quiet you can hear a Prius A cup of tea with a gauzy helix of steam above it Floppy hats, identical bags in several colors Somali brownish gray maxi dresses with shadows in folds instead of patterns Bees drop onto inconspicuous green flowers Giraffe markings tattooed on a shoulder I’ve seen that expression before It doesn’t take long for it to decide to flee
Apr 30, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Joel Sloman
The Bush Presidency, Undead The Bush Presidency, Undead
With the opening of George W's presidential library, pundits are rushing to whitewash the memory of those years of folly.
Apr 26, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman and Reed Richardson
‘Cape Fear,’ and Our Fear ‘Cape Fear,’ and Our Fear
In the wake of 9/11 and Boston, is it even possible to imagine a movie that makes civil liberties an integral part of its dramatic arc?
Apr 24, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Rick Perlstein
The Trials of Rafi Segal The Trials of Rafi Segal
In Israel, an architectural competition and its winner have been sabotaged by the bad faith of its sponsors.
Apr 24, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Michael Sorkin
Risky Business: On Risk and Individualism Risky Business: On Risk and Individualism
A history of how risk management profits from manufacturing new forms of uncertainty and insecurity.
Apr 24, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Mihm
And Darkness Comes: On Aleksandar Hemon And Darkness Comes: On Aleksandar Hemon
How did everything a writer had known and loved come violently apart?
Apr 24, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Aaron Thier
Beyond Beyond
Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder, Derek Cinfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines, Brian Helgeland’s 42
Apr 24, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
Chrissy Amphlett’s Pleasure Anthem Chrissy Amphlett’s Pleasure Anthem
In 2013, a song like “I Touch Myself” is less shocking than it once was. But it is still revolutionary.
Apr 22, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Chloe Angyal
Give Me the Bad News First Give Me the Bad News First
Press coverage is hasty, error-prone and frequently depressing—but it nonetheless plays a vital role in our society.
Apr 18, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman and Reed Richardson