Welcome Herman Cain Welcome Herman Cain
The late-night comics make it plain They’re thrilled to have back Herman Cain— Reminding us of days more sane, When folks like Herman would campaign For posts we knew they’d not ob…
Apr 22, 2019 / Column / Calvin Trillin
Democracy’s Midlife Crisis Democracy’s Midlife Crisis
Democracies do not necessarily go out with a bang; they can also end with a whimper.
Apr 22, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Jan-Werner Müller
The Bare Ruined Choirs of Notre Dame The Bare Ruined Choirs of Notre Dame
This monument to medieval faith will surely be rebuilt—by the techno-mobilization of capitalist individualism.
Apr 22, 2019 / Richard Lingeman
How Social-Media Surveillance of Teenagers Led to a New Kind of Policing How Social-Media Surveillance of Teenagers Led to a New Kind of Policing
Sociologist Jeffrey Lane’s book The Digital Street looks at the ever-increasing scrutiny of teenagers’ social-media accounts in central Harlem.
Apr 19, 2019 / David Uberti
The Burning of Notre Dame Is Not Just a Tragedy—It’s an Opportunity The Burning of Notre Dame Is Not Just a Tragedy—It’s an Opportunity
It’s an occasion to a consider a more expansive idea of what it means to be French.
Apr 17, 2019 / Daniel Judt
Grieving for Notre Dame Grieving for Notre Dame
The church embodies a civilization, and had it been erased from the earth—as thankfully it has not been, as it now appears—the loss would have been irretrievable.
Apr 16, 2019 / Arthur Goldhammer
The Transfixing Spell of Edward Gorey’s Life in Art The Transfixing Spell of Edward Gorey’s Life in Art
Mark Dery’s Born to Be Posthumous meticulously tells the story of the unconventional author and artist, who amassed an ardent following yet remains unknown to many readers.
Apr 16, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Jillian Steinhauer
The Making and Unmaking of Brazilian Democracy The Making and Unmaking of Brazilian Democracy
A new one-volume history of Brazil reminds us, despite its Whiggish orientation, that democratic institutions in the country have existed only in troubled spurts.
Apr 16, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Alex Cuadros
Fully Booked Fully Booked
Trump, at the southern border, says to would-be immigrants, “We’re full.” —News reports “We’re full,” Trump said, as if he ran An inn that’s booked up for the night. Those empty ro…
Apr 15, 2019 / Column / Calvin Trillin