This is good news
Turkey has dropped charges against novelist Orhan Pamuk for insulting “Turkishness.” Orhan Pamuk went on trial for telling a Swiss newspaper in February that Turkey is unwilling to deal with two of the most painful episodes in recent Turkish history: the massacre of Armenians during World War I, which Turkey insists was not a planned [...]
...read moreConservatives: Supporting Anti-Intellectualism Since 1945
Amanda nicely sums up the conservative backlash against intellectualism, academia, and the “elitism” of people who value education and reality. Read her post, then come back here and check out these fitting examples:
...read moreVon’s: Thar She Blows
Well, there goes the last great independent bookseller in town. Again. Von’s, a campus staple, was known for its great selection of new and used books, CDs, and craft supplies. Locally owned and reasonably priced, it featured music from the popular to the obscure, and satisifed obscure label whores like me and mine. Recently the [...]
...read moreI *Heart* Anderson Cooper
Seriously, what a babe. And now that he has his own column, I love him even more. I love him even despite his “Of course I’m straight!” posturing, like in this piece where he talks about what his mom (Gloria Vanderbilt), who just wrote her memoir, taught him about sex. It’s taken me a while [...]
...read moreEveryone I’ve Ever Loved
is at Cooper Union tonight. About five steps from where I’ll be studying in the library. I hate my life. If you live in New York, go. If you don’t, or if you’re desperately trying not to fail out of law school, be sad like me, because here’s who you’re missing: Edward Albee, Sandra Cisneros, [...]
...read moreCall for Abortion Stories
From an email I got today: Are you a woman who has had an abortion? You are not alone and your story is important. We are editing a book about abortion and we want to hear your story. BEYOND CHOICE: VOICES OF REAL WOMEN is not a political treatise and we do not have an [...]
...read moreAugust Wilson Dies at 60
The man who wrote the only play I’ve ever liked (“Fences”) has died at age 60 of liver cancer. In his work, Mr. Wilson depicted the struggles of black Americans with uncommon lyrical richness, theatrical density and emotional heft, in plays that gave vivid voices to people on the frayed margins of life: cabdrivers and [...]
...read moreA Fine Day for Book Nerds
Today in Bryant Park, the New York Times hosted an event featuring several fantastic authors doing readings and book signings. A partial list of the writers: Jonathan Safran Foer, Naomi Wolf, Nicole Krauss, Jill Nelson, Bob Herbert, Pete Hamill, Paul Krugman, Chuck Klosterman… the list goes on and on. I sadly over-slept and missed the [...]
...read moreMind Pollution for Reading Rebels
Lindsay Beyerstein has started a Banned Books meme. Here are the books from the ALA’s Top 100 Challenged Books that I have used to dirty my delicate brain. 1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz 2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite 3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 4. The Chocolate [...]
...read moreBanning Books Only Makes Them More Lovable
Happy Banned Book Week! When I was reminded at Roxanne’s last night (during yet another bout of insomnia) I took a look at the list of most challenged books of 2004 and laughed aloud. Dav Pilkey is a household staple around here, especially for the Captain Underpants series. If it gets the little one reading [...]
...read moreThe Color Purple on Broadway
With Oprah Winfrey as a major backer. Could be decent. My prediction is that no matter how good it is, the critics will rip it apart. Which is unfortunate, as I do love The Color Purple.
...read more
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