A catchy analysis of today’s news: “In its various current forms, the news—as a habituating, slightly fetishistic, more or less entertaining experience that defines a broad common interest—is ending. Newspapers, the network evening news, newsmagazines, even 24-hour cable news channels, these providers and packagers of […]

In this electronic age, books still matter. Such is the message of this story written by Karen Long in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “In 2006, Americans bought more than 3.1 billion books, generating $35.69 billion in sales, up 3.2 percent over 2005’s total, according to […]

I recently saw an in-depth interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Susan Faludi about her latest book, The Terror Dream. Her comments widened my thinking about how national self-identity always affects our response to national tragedy. It’s there as a starting point almost, in that your […]

Seymour Hersh has a rather chilling piece in a recent New Yorker about the administration’s planning for possible action (military) against Iran. The story highlights suggestions made by the president that Iran is behind the insurgent strikes on American troops, and in retaliation the U.S. […]

As many of my friends know, I’m a huge Bruce fan. I’ve been listening to his new albulm, Magic, almost nonstop this week. There’s not much to say other than it’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see him next month when he brings the E […]

Andrew Brown from the Guardian has an interesting take on the act of reading. Video and audio “take more time to convey less meaning,” he writes. “There are some things which print cannot easily – or at all – convey, and which sound and pictures […]