Looking Back at the UFW, a Union With Two Souls Looking Back at the UFW, a Union With Two Souls
A Q&A with Frank Bardacke, whose new book Trampling Out the Vintage complicates the legend and legacy of Cesar Chavez.
Jan 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Gabriel Thompson
A Spoonful of Sugar: On the Affordable Care Act A Spoonful of Sugar: On the Affordable Care Act
Obama and America's hundred-year struggle over healthcare reform.
Jan 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Bernard Avishai
Complaint Complaint
Walk out the front door, the dog tugs Boyishly at the leash. I sit at my desk. A breeze Floats up from Oakdale on the hottest day of the year. This is the climate of reason. But in the climate of no reason I look out the window at midnight. My mother appears in a red coat, raking the leaves. Always she wore that coat in autumn, The tattered wool, the large Black buttons, But only to rake leaves. Why my house was built on the dividing line I cannot say. Walk out the front door, Somebody dies. Walk out the back, The rabbit jumps out of his hole. Bedroom in one world, kitchen in another— You could say it’s always September here, Every day the first day of school. The bus is waiting. I’ve got books, my lunch, My gym clothes in a plastic bag.
Jan 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / James Longenbach
Shelf Life Shelf Life
The Complete Jean Vigo, Travis Wilkerson’s An Injury to One.
Jan 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Akiva Gottlieb
The Foundation Business: On Olivier Zunz The Foundation Business: On Olivier Zunz
There’s more to American nonprofits than the success of wealthy donors and their large foundations.
Jan 25, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Pablo Eisenberg
Two Attempts to Explain the Resurrection of Newt Gingrich Two Attempts to Explain the Resurrection of Newt Gingrich
I. Yes, Newt appeared dead at least twice. If Mitt’s guys were playing it smart, They would have made certain of that By driving a stake through his heart. II. But Newt might have said if they had, Proceed, Mitt. You’ll see I won’t mind it. You’re free to drive stakes through my heart, Except that you’ll first have to find it.
Jan 25, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin
Puzzle No. 3225 Puzzle No. 3225
Click here for a printer-friendly version of the puzzle. ACROSS 1 Shoestring budgets resulting in tears (11) 9 Removing “No” from agreement is a good thing (5) 10 Style defeat for school chum (9) 11 Friendly, when nearing the end of one’s term (8) 12 Iron man or woman (6) 14 Exact replicas of scam I deviously inserted in records (10) 16 One-fourth of four, plus four, on its face, equals…! (4) 18 All there is, ultimately: an E (4) 19 In Paris, the franc involves sharp pain for Sarkozy opponent, in all likelihood (4-6) 22 Sponsor Buchanan and Reagan (6) 23 Finally stop long-winded speech about energy introduction (8) 26 Clarify cryptic clue one time (9) 27 I’d love to go inside—I’m getting a foot in the door, for instance (5) 28 A product of innovative tour science! (6,5) DOWN 1 Composer’s catalog sung (5) 2 Church member addicted to pets? (8) 3 Think over scouting team with rocket launcher (10) 4 Take out wood (4) 5 Discharge decapitated medieval combatant (6) 6 Differential gear: fan is on a boat (9) 7 24 entailing LP trade brings job loss (6) 8 Revolutionary respect (6) 13 Indeed: attempt to take saxophone, at last, and organ, is so 2011 (10) 15 Parses opposing arguments with levels (9) 17 Dessert in America: I foul it up (8) 18 Hint of paprika in excellent meal (6) 20 Running from the nose and from the mouth, with plenty of space (6) 21 Young nun, or what she should display (6) 24 Bone covered with half-beef grease (5) 25 Hack and chop within outskirts of Tbilisi (4) ACROSS 1 2 defs. 9 A + B(STAIN)ED 10 rev. 11 PERCUSSION + CAP (supersonic anag.) 14 anag. 17 [h]OBOE[s] 19 ‘[h]EELS 20 2 defs. 22 M(I + LIT + ARYBR)ASS (Barry anag.) 26 “Ritz” 27 CAPRI + CORN 29 G + ONE WITH THE WIND DOWN 1 anag. 2 A + ESIR (rise rev.) 3 ABA + C + USES 4 and 28 rev. 5 RA + DIO 6 TO + PICS 7 IN + CA(PA)BLE 8 [hoa]GY + [he]RO 12 SAT IN 13 JET + TI(SON)ED 15 anag. 16 hidden 18 CUR + B-SIDE 21 2 defs. 23 anag. 24 initial letters 25 2 defs.
Jan 25, 2012 / Joshua Kosman and Henri Picciotto
Marriage, Power and ‘The Obamas’ Marriage, Power and ‘The Obamas’
The swirl of controversy over Jodi Kantor’s biography reflects deep cultural anxieties about the limits we place on women in power.
Jan 18, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Ilyse Hogue
The Wicked Art of Caricature The Wicked Art of Caricature
Five centuries of political pans by a lot of old masters and a few new ones, on exhibit at the Met.
Jan 18, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Edward Sorel
An Explanation of Gingrich’s Ad Accusing Romney of Being Able to Speak French An Explanation of Gingrich’s Ad Accusing Romney of Being Able to Speak French
Big Mo is what Gingrich is desperate to stop. He talks of how Romney will flip and will flop. He charges that Romney now goes through contortions To hide being someone who funded abortions And hide that in business wherever he’d roam Some innocent workers would lose hearth and home. There’s no way, Newt says, you can call Mitt a mensch. But what’s even worse is, the man can speak French. Yes, being bilingual is really too much. It shows you’re elitist and way out of touch. Bilingual means speaking one language too many. We’ve voted for leaders who hardly speak any. Republican voters know one thing. It’s this: That ignorance rocks. (It’s sometimes called bliss.) So all Romney-huggers should undo their clench. Mitt Romney’s a menace: the man can speak French.
Jan 18, 2012 / Column / Calvin Trillin