Culture

Shelf Life Shelf Life

Norman Davies’s Vanished Kingdoms.

Apr 10, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Meaney

Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira

Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira Unmanageable Realities: On César Aira

Varamo is the latest novel-in-translation from Argentina’s slipperiest living writer.

Apr 10, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Marcela Valdes

End of the Line? End of the Line?

“Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas billionaire who has been the biggest backer to a group supporting Newt Gingrich, said this week that Mr. Gingrich had reached ‘the end of his line’ in his bid for the presidency.” —New York Times   So Newt’s coming closer to facing defeat? His main sugar daddy’s no longer so sweet. And Newt never was: why, when he had the power Of all of that sugar, he still sounded sour.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Calvin Trillin

A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller

A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller A Double Inheritance: On Margaret Fuller

A nineteenth-century feminist's exceptional life.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Vivian Gornick

Putting the World Into the World: On Alighiero Boetti

Putting the World Into the World: On Alighiero Boetti Putting the World Into the World: On Alighiero Boetti

Opposites collapse in the work of the Shaman-Showman of contemporary Italian art.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Inescapable Smallness: On Jenny Erpenbeck Inescapable Smallness: On Jenny Erpenbeck

A young German novelist explores the logic of powerlessness.

Apr 3, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Tristram Wolff

Alisa Solomon: Grappling With Mike Daisey’s ‘Journalism’

Alisa Solomon: Grappling With Mike Daisey’s ‘Journalism’ Alisa Solomon: Grappling With Mike Daisey’s ‘Journalism’

How the artist's narrative carried everyone away.

Mar 29, 2012 / Books & the Arts / The Nation

Five Poems by Adrienne Rich

Five Poems by Adrienne Rich Five Poems by Adrienne Rich

Adrienne Rich, a major figure in the recent history of American poetry and a frequent contributor to The Nation, died on March 27.

Mar 29, 2012 / Books & the Arts / The Nation

Adrienne Rich’s Touch Was Political

Adrienne Rich’s Touch Was Political Adrienne Rich’s Touch Was Political

A poet passionately engaged with writing and politics, she said "art means nothing if it simply decorates the dinner table of the power which holds it hostage."

Mar 29, 2012 / Books & the Arts / John Nichols

The Situation The Situation

So Mitt’s officially an Etch-a-Sketch, And Rick says JFK’s speech made him retch. Ron Paul’s a ditz, and Gingrich is a letch. Though nets are flung as far as they will stretch, There isn’t any white knight there to fetch. Republicans thus sit around and kvetch.

Mar 28, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Calvin Trillin

x