Books & the Arts

Imitation of Art Imitation of Art

The Chronicles of Narnia is the perfect combination of Christian allegory and The Lord of the Rings, a well-crafted commodity and nothing more. The Ice Harvest, an anti-Christmas f...

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

The Look of Truth The Look of Truth

Photographs are supposed to be unbiased recognitions of reality, but they're really self-portraits of the photographer. The Ongoing Movement, a blend of biography and analysis, exa...

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Peter Plagens

Octoberfest Octoberfest

Four editors of October magazine trace the history of contemporary art. Though Art Since 1900 seeks to be comprehensive, its writers leave out entire movements and impose moralisti...

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Pop Torture Pop Torture

Pop culture does more than validate the claim that torture could help foil bombs seconds before detonation.

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Richard Kim

Rogue Scholars Rogue Scholars

Defenders of torture dwell not only in the White House and Pentagon, but in the halls of academia. When prominent law professors and academics cite the fantastic "ticking-bomb theo...

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Tara McKelvey

Disco Inferno Disco Inferno

Military detainees have been subjected to starvation, sleep deprivation and now Metallica and Britney Spears. Blasted at high volume, torture music has become a weapon of war, used...

Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Moustafa Bayoumi

The Putsch at Public Broadcasting The Putsch at Public Broadcasting

With professionals at the top forced out and replaced by GOP fundraisers, the right-wing takeover of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is now plain to see. Though CPB's Inspe...

Dec 1, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman

Studs Terkel on Music Studs Terkel on Music

Still going strong at 93, Studs Terkel has produced yet another oral history, And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey.

Nov 30, 2005 / Books & the Arts / The Nation

Nancy Has Two Mommies Nancy Has Two Mommies

Nancy Drew has been a fixture in young girls' lives since 1930. But the continuing appeal of this spunky American icon--never sad, wrinkled or misunderstood--is both heartwarming a...

Nov 30, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple

Letter of the Law Letter of the Law

America's Constitution: A Biography examines America's obsession with the Constitution--its origins, evolution and interpretation.

Nov 30, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Jack Rakove

x