Cultural Criticism and Analysis

Taking Celebrity Seriously Taking Celebrity Seriously

The Paris Principle: politics are sooo hot.

Oct 11, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Duncombe

The Diana/Whore Complex The Diana/Whore Complex

The lovelorn, fragile women the media once revered have given way to skank posses of the skinny, the slutty and the overindulged.

Aug 9, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Lakshmi Chaudhry

End of the Affair End of the Affair

The Nation Cruise drops its final anchor and its highly politicized passengers head for home.

Aug 6, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Annabelle Gurwitch

A Rally in Juneau A Rally in Juneau

Veterans for Peace in Juneau greeted the Nation cruise when it docked in their city with a rally against the war.

Aug 2, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Doug Henwood

The Stuff of Heartbreak The Stuff of Heartbreak

When an ardently progressive magazine sponsors a cruise through the fragile waters off the coast of Alaska, the environmental, economic and human realities are ripe for contemplati...

Aug 2, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Doug Henwood

I Didn’t Throw Ralph Nader Overboard I Didn’t Throw Ralph Nader Overboard

In her latest shipboard dispatch, one passenger resists fear of global warming, is charmed by Rocky Anderson and manages not to do what so many others have contemplated.

Jul 29, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Annabelle Gurwitch

The Lives of Others The Lives of Others

Lois Gordon's new biography of Nancy Cunard brings the legendary heiress and activist back to life.

Jul 26, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Carla Kaplan

Harry Potter and the Half-Baked Epic Harry Potter and the Half-Baked Epic

The last book in J.K. Rowling's saga is marked by throwaway references to a post-9/11 world and derivative insights that never add up to a coherent moral vision.

Jul 26, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Lakshmi Chaudhry

Nixon’s Broadway Revival Nixon’s Broadway Revival

Peter Morgan's new play is highly entertaining; Frank Langella's portrait of Nixon is brutally amusing; yet the play is historically inaccurate.

Jun 27, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Elizabeth Drew

The Secret’s Success The Secret’s Success

Put a progressive spin on the self-help bestseller.

May 17, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Micki McGee

x