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Author Archives: thuudung
Moscow
Rich and poor, rectitude and laxity, sacred and profane: Moscow has always abounded in contrasts. Flowing through the city’s dichotomous terrain: vodka… more»
Online education and the university experience
Technology is always reinventing college. First it was television, then pre-broadband Internet. Both failed. Now it’s MOOCs. This time is different… more»
When nuns puked nails
Demonic possession might explain your convulsions, vomiting, or visions. But what explains the popularity of demons, in the 16th century and today?… more»
On Athanasius Kircher
Part Jesuit, part scholar, part P.T. Barnum: Athanasius Kircher knew so much about so many things, and much of what he knew was wrong… more»
Posted in Essays and Opinion
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Narratives of war
And now Michael Howard anoints a new Clausewitz. His name: Emile Simpson, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Are his ideas the future of military strategy?… more»
Posted in New Books
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Have we evolved to be nasty or nice?
Are people naturally cooperative or selfish? Neither. People are both nasty and nice. What determines which one you get? The circumstances… more»
Posted in Articles of Note
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Willa Cather in her own words
Scholars have known that Willa Cather’s letters are revelatory about her writing and secretive personal life. But they couldn’t be quoted. Until now… more»
Reassessing Edward Thomas
When Edward Thomas was killed, in 1917, his reputation rested on his prose: 20 books, 70 articles, 1,900 reviews. He wrote on deadline, but he was no hack… more»
What does poetry need?
Prizes, fellowships, and an emphasis on collegiality have tamed the poetic impulse. What does poetry need? More spleen, more satire, more venom… more»
Cabinet magazine rewrites the encyclopedia
In the pages of Cabinet, insecure academics commiserate with insecure artists. The magazine is idiosyncratic, goofy, and a consistent delight… more»
Posted in New Books
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