- 20 July 2008 |
- Site Map |
- Brijit Blog |
- Brijit for Facebook |
- FAQ
- The Economist
- | Time
- | The New Yorker
- | Fortune
- | ESPN The Magazine
- | Wired
- | Smithsonian
- | A.V. Club
in The New York Review of Books
by
Thomas Powers, 29 May 2008
“Invading the Middle East is the kind of imperial overreach that breaks the spine of great powers.” That’s the point Powers repeatedly brings home in this lengthy essay. Drawing from ten books about current and past Middle East wars, Powers is pessimistic about America’s prospects for success in Iraq and Afghanistan. He further argues that even though the Democratic presidential candidates have pledged to begin troop withdrawals in their first year in office, political realities will make that impossible and we will be having the same argument in four years' time. There's nothing fun about this essay, but it feels important nonetheless.
Posted 11:29, 20 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Chris Lugardo
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Charles Simic, 15 May 2008
When his first book debuted in 1973, Robert Haas' work embodied the free-spirited eclecticism of his native San Francisco. 35 years later, the master poet still embraces an assortment of themes, imagery, and writing styles. Simic introduces the gifted wordsmith and the rich body of work leading to his latest project, Time & Materials: 1997-2005. From charming love poems and artistic musings to tough urban realities and antiwar commentaries, this book demonstrates Haas' mastery of close observation and "eloquent editorial." Most endearing about this "poet of direct experience," Simic astutely observes, is his ability to convey, mentally and sensually, "the weight of life" -- proving how significant a poet he has become.
Posted 4:17, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
JL Roberts
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
John Gross, 15 May 2008
John Updike, possibly America's preeminent writer, has just published Due Considerations, a wide-ranging collection of his writings. In this review, Gross does a good job of avoiding trying to cover the work as a whole, instead giving a taste of several essays, presenting some of Updike's recurring themes and pointing out particularly fine prose. Of course, no single work receives sustained attention, and the end result is that you might find yourself looking to buy the book. Still, the review is well-written and engaging.
Posted 4:15, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Chris Lugardo
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Sanford Schwartz, 15 May 2008
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is currently offering an exhibition of artwork by artist Frida Kahlo. Kahlo, known for her many self-portraits, has gone from being an artist chiefly of interest to fellow Mexicans to being "the most famous female artist in history." Neither surreal nor provincial, Kahlo's art was intensely personal, at times both charming and accusatory, despite many personal crises. Schwartz smartly notes that the veneration of Kahlo is far-fetched; rather than a revolutionary or model of Hispanic spirit, she was simply a woman spiritedly chronicling her numerous experiences.
Posted 3:42, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Sarah Davis
and edited by Brijit.
Subjects/Tags:
arts,
in The New York Review of Books
by
Max Rodenbeck, 15 May 2008
Rodenbeck reviews Robin Wright's book Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East, developed from a yearlong series of articles for the Washington Post on political reform in the Middle East. Covering the countries Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine, Wright offers amusing anecdotes about leaders while thinking critically about the shift from autocracy to individuality. Sadly, much of the progress has been suppressed, with reform becoming "increasingly unsustainable." In addition, Wright struggles with perspective regarding the Israeli-Palestine conflict, handing sole fault to the Arabs. Despite Rodenbeck's shortcomings, including his assumption that "the American way" is best for everyone, this is a valuable read.
Posted 1:25, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Sarah Davis
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Natalie Zemon Davis, 15 May 2008
Davis discusses the writings of Michel de Certeau, a 20th century French Jesuit. Certeau, a contemporary of Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), drew upon history, psychology, and theology in his writings. Certeau viewed the Second Vatican Council as a break with the Church's previous doctrines, and pushed for greater openness with the outside the world. Davis finds Certeau's writings on history and mysticism "especially rewarding," and his discussion of these works, especially Certeau's treatment of a 17th-century exorcism in the French town of Loudun, is the more interesting part of what is, on the whole, an excellent but dense essay.
Posted 12:56, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Chris Lugardo
and edited by Brijit.
This letter, signed by Wang and a presumably growing list of other intellectuals (email addresses are provided so that supporters can add their names), is essentially a numbered list containing what the headline suggests. Some exhortations put the confrontation in a historical context: The government's language toward the Dalai Lama, they write, recalls the Cultural Revolution. Others beg for more information, like their two-sentence call to not exact widespread revenge on all of Tibet. Still others state the obvious: All parties should reject violence; and the government should respect the constitution's prescribed freedoms of speech and religion.
Posted 9:38, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Danny Kind
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Michael Dirda, 15 May 2008
Dirda calls Peter Matthiessen's 900-page Florida Everglades opus Shadow Country a "masterpiece" that rivals William Faulkner's best, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. This is high praise indeed, as any high school AP English student would know. But it's especially so for a novel that's a condensation of three other Matthiessen books about infamous 19th century Florida backwoodsman Edgar J. Watson, a character that's part Davy Crockett and part modern-day serial killer. Dirda's review is divided into three sections, each representing his original three novels, and doing the author and subject matter poetic justice.
Posted 9:30, 1 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Elliot Feldman
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Jonathan Mirsky, 15 May 2008
Mirsky reviews To the End of Hell by Denise Affonco, an autobiographical account of the author's years suffering under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Affonco, who lost her husband, daughter, and several other relatives to the vicious and inhuman violence perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge, presents a "vivid and detailed" account of life under the Communist dictatorship. Minsky surveys the history of the Khmer Rouge's rise and seizure of control, and describes the brutality they inflicted on the Cambodian people. Not for the faint of heart, this piece is nevertheless a worthwhile read that revisits one of the 20th century's worst horrors.
Posted 3:55, 30 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Chris Lugardo
and edited by Brijit.
in The New York Review of Books
by
Judy Woodruff, 15 May 2008
In this interview expanded from a Bloomberg TV news segment, billionaire financier George Soros gives Woodruff his take on the economy -- the source of the present troubles, the outlook for the future, and how the federal government can help. Soros has many interesting things to say, and his gloomy forecast -- particularly regarding the housing market, where the current glut of foreclosures is a trickle compared to what Soros says is coming -- is certainly disturbing. Woodruff also questions him on the presidential election and the war on terror, but economic matters are the heart of this thought-provoking interview.
Posted 4:55, 25 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Chris Lugardo
and edited by Brijit.