Books and Ideas

A Closing of the American Kind A Closing of the American Kind

You will recall that when Augie March went to Mexico, he hooked up with an eagle, which he called Caligula.

May 11, 2000 / Books & the Arts / John Leonard

The Intervention Blues The Intervention Blues

Perhaps one of the most fatuous theories ever promulgated was Francis Fukuyama's "End of History," put forth just as, in most parts of the world, history resumed its sanguinary p...

Apr 27, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Ian Williams

Hawking Vietnam Hawking Vietnam

With the twenty-fifth anniversary of the American withdrawal from Vietnam hard upon us, readers and viewers may well be treated to a multitude of reprises of the arguments surrou...

Apr 20, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Richard Falk

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

In Moby-Dick, in the chapter "The Fossil Whale," Ishmael proclaims: "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." The theme of Joyce Carol Oates's Blonde--well, it'...

Apr 20, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Lawrence Joseph

Poetry Poetry

After Troy Not quite putting on what little power or knowledge pigeons lay claim to, she nonetheless bids them come. Launched off cornices,

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Various Contributors

The Compleat Walker The Compleat Walker

Shortly before he died, Bruce Chatwin found God. This was on top of Mount Athos, after which he left for Katmandu. Looking down from the bees and grapes, he had seen an iron cros...

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / John Leonard

Reparting the Waters Reparting the Waters

It is delightfully ironic that a site has been approved for the construction of a monument in Martin Luther King Jr.'s name on the Washington Mall, given that in the last months ...

Apr 13, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Jason Sokol

Talking ‘Anarchy’ With Chomsky Talking ‘Anarchy’ With Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a longtime political activist, writer and professor of linguistics at MIT.

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / David Barsamian

Her Own Lambs and Falcons Her Own Lambs and Falcons

It really is about time we had the letters of Rebecca West.

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Georgette Fleischer

Passages to India Passages to India

In the early 1920s, E.M.

Apr 5, 2000 / Books & the Arts / Amitava Kumar

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