Public ritual might be construed as a benign relic, as imperialism or as marketing. Or it might be seen as a form of pilgrimage.
When I was a child, I read only baseball box scores. More recently, when Marilynne Robinson has a new book I immediately order it.
The primary problem with American political culture is that almost all of our scrutiny goes to the human beings running for president.
Neuroscientist Kenneth Hayworth is opposed to death, and he thinks he has a solution.
In the ninth century, Timothy I was a global statesman. In the 20th, Raphael Bidawid led a tiny denomination in the paranoid Iraq of Saddam Hussein.
Turn Here Sweet Corn, by Atina Diffley
Atina Diffley and her husband are organic farmers in Minnesota. Her book contains three stories in one.
Beyond Our Means, by Sheldon Garon
Sheldon Garon contends that Americans lack moral teaching on wealth, public policies that encourage saving, and a cultural ethos that nurtures thrift.
The New Religious Intolerance, by Martha C. Nussbaum
In The Clash Within, Martha Nussbaum explored the capacity to entertain the other as key to a democratic society. Now she considers angry resistance to the other, bringing her usual erudite analysis and intense moral passion.
Noise level
"Noise is not the most important problem in the world," Garret Keizer begins. But he makes a robust case for noise's far-reaching effects.
Questing for Understanding, by David B. Burrell
Burrell’s memoir is driven by Jung’s observation that the story of our lives is the story of our times, and it is our task to see how that is the case.
Breaking Bad
Each time Walter White gets away with something, I can't help cheering him on—while also shuddering at his depravity and my own complicity.
Elephant King, by Trace Bundy
Named “Most Promising New Talent” of 2008 by Acoustic Guitar magazine, Trace Bundy has been impressing audiences with his playing, which will please fans of Phil Keaggy, Michael Hedges and Laurence Juber.
Long Lost Ghosts, by Emily Hurd
Working with producer John Abbey (who has played with Daniel Lanois and Ray Davies), Emily Hurd turns in a soulful, tender album that recalls the best of Lucinda Williams and Shawn Colvin.
That’s Why God Made the Radio, by The Beach Boys
The new Beach Boys record doesn't always work, but when it does it dials in the group's age of innocence, filtered through years of experience.
I’m Just Dead I’m Not Gone, by James Luther Dickinson and the North Mississippi Allstars
In his storied career, Jim Dickinson produced some of rock’s greatest acts (Big Star, the Replacements). Here his sons Luther and Cody, who gained fame as the North Mississippi Allstars, accompany him in a live gig recorded three years before his death in 2009.
