The Russian soul. The phrase serves as shorthand for Russia’s national character, after the manner of American innocence, French arrogance, Italian dolce far niente, and what used to be the English stiff upper lip. Russians are reputed to feel more than the rest of us do, think deep thoughts . . . . Continue Reading »
In the opening lines of Cold Warriors, Duncan White notes that “between February and May 1955, a group covertly funded by the Central Intelligence Agency launched a secret weapon into Communist territory”: balloons carrying copies of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. This was perhaps the . . . . Continue Reading »
Tyll: A Novel by daniel kehlmann, translated by ross benjamin pantheon, 352 pages, $26.95 Daniel Kehlmann’s novel Tyll, like its title character, is full of dark surprises. Tyll Ulenspiegel, a legendary figure from German folklore, is a prankster, magician, and traveling performer. Throughout . . . . Continue Reading »
Michael Connelly is a historian of the present, telling us what is “happening” with immediacy and imaginative depth through his crime novels. Continue Reading »
Daniel Taylor’s novel Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees asks readers who believe that the Bible really is “the Word of God” to think carefully about what that entails. Continue Reading »
In this time of social isolation, I have revisited several classic plague texts. Continue Reading »
Here I offer gratis a few thoughts about a writing project, in the hope that a writer or two will be inspired. Continue Reading »
Tomie dePaola’s children’s books show a sympathy not only for the child, but for the childlike adult, whose eyes are open to surprise and miracle. Continue Reading »
Pity the satirist: He labors under a double burden. There is, first and foremost, the need to be funny. Whatever kind of laughter the satirist conjures—whether it be queasy or full-out—the jokes have to land. Comedians have no safety net, and the ground is hard-packed. Then there is the . . . . Continue Reading »
Some people acquire foreign languages more easily than others. I, alas, am one of those others. I cannot truly say that I have possession of any foreign language. I have perhaps two hundred or so words of Yiddish—just enough to fool the Gentiles into thinking I know the language, but not . . . . Continue Reading »
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