Books & the Arts

Complain, Complain: Poems about Writing Poetry Complain, Complain: Poems about Writing Poetry

Now for something completely different. This week I'm guest-blogging at The Best American Poetry. So much fun! I'll be putting up here what I wrote over there the day before.

Aug 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Katha Pollitt

Cures for the Common Cold War: Postwar Polish Poetry Cures for the Common Cold War: Postwar Polish Poetry

Polish poetry has been captive to our most flattering verdicts about history.

Jul 29, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Benjamin Paloff

Stolen Youth: The Life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin Stolen Youth: The Life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin

The French Revolution as seen from Versailles.

Jul 29, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ruth Scurr

A Gross Unfairness: The Workings of the Straight State A Gross Unfairness: The Workings of the Straight State

Scrutinizing the machinery of the "straight state."

Jul 29, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Steven Epstein

The Story of a Fixer The Story of a Fixer

A haunting documentary shines a light on the foreign "fixers" who work behind the scenes with reporters to determine how the story of war gets told.

Jul 29, 2009 / Books & the Arts / The Editors

Doppler Elegy Doppler Elegy

A flowering no one attends     The enterprise known variously as waking, April, or Bats are disappearing like color into function. I wanted to open In a new window     the eyes of a friend by force if necessary. Amber light     is a useless phrase but will have to do     what painting did Dense smoke from the burning wells for our parents. Ben there is a man at the door who says I've made small changes     he found your notebook throughout in red. The recurring dream     contrived in places Of waning significance     it resembles the hand after a difficult passage opening, a key word in the early Blue of rippled glass atonal circles. They phased us out     across the backward capitals like paper money     Or is that two words

Jul 29, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ben Lerner

Solaliquies Solaliquies

Rising to the dare of Martial Solal's mischievous piano playing.

Jul 28, 2009 / Books & the Arts / K. Leander Williams

Borrowed Time: The World at 65 Borrowed Time: The World at 65

The tumultuous American Century in the lives of a father and son.

Jul 21, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Tom Engelhardt

Bruno: Offensive, Funny or Just Shocking? Bruno: Offensive, Funny or Just Shocking?

The Nation's Richard Kim and others discuss the admittedly provocative antics of Sacha Baron Cohen's latest creation.

Jul 17, 2009 / Books & the Arts / GRITtv

Afghanistan Is Based on Lies and Illusions Afghanistan Is Based on Lies and Illusions

The new film The Fixer, featuring The Nation's Christian Parenti, captures some edgy, fearful truths about the war in Afghanistan.

Jul 16, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Ann Jones

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