After making fun of Smug Marrieds for so long, we wanted to see the long-time singleton actually become one. Instead, we get a stereotype of aging.
Books
No American Author Should Win the Nobel Prize
It’s been 20 years since the U.S. has claimed the world’s top book prize. With apologies to Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates and even Bob Dylan, we should hope the shutout continues
Ayn Rand Would Have Loved Kickstarter
In a world where we can now go online to escape the mainstream, the crowdfunding site offers the ultimate in ‘value-for-value’
A Portrait of the Artist as a Predator
How can anyone see the work of J.D. Salinger, Woody Allen and Roman Polanski the same way once you know of their predilection for young girls?
Seamus Heaney: ‘He Became His Admirers’
A student remembers the plainspoken Nobel laureate who carved pumpkins and worked miracles
The Freelancer’s Hustle
Choire Sicha’s new book chronicles the panicked, fax-filled, poverty-waged life that keeps writers coming back for more
The End of the Suburbs
The country is resettling along more urbanized lines, and the American Dream is moving with it
Is Reza Aslan Anti-Christian?
The author of Zealot explains his views on faith and historical scholarship
J.K. Rowling and the Death of the Long Tail
By now you’re no doubt aware that Robert Galbraith, the unknown author of a new detective novel called The Cuckoo’s Calling, is actually J.K. Rowling, gazillion-selling Harry Potter creator and epoch-making publishing phenom. …
Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer
“Deep reading” is vigorous exercise from the brain and increases our real-life capacity for empathy
TED Talk Legend Sir Ken Robinson Talks To TIME
Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talks have been watched by more people than any other speaker in the conference’s history. Online, his three talks combined have gotten over 21 million views, but Robinson estimates that when you include event presentations, his 2006 “Schools Kill Creativity” talk has been watched by over 300 million people. No …
Viewpoint: The New Food Police Are Out of Touch
The agenda of Michael Pollan and his ilk is far removed from the needs and concerns of everyday Americans
Why Americans Need Spelling Bees and Vocabulary Tests
Until we have a better appreciation for the English language, we need all the help we can get