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Author Archives: thuudung
The case for revenge
Refined readers of Arts & Letters Daily, when wronged, seek justice, not revenge, that impulse of the uncivilized. But what’s so bad about getting even?… more»
The resurrection of Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel. The name reeks of 80s hedonism and art-world narcissism. Now he’s returned to painting. Time to forgive him for his sins?… more»
A history of neon
For Adorno, neon represented mass-produced kitsch. For others, the ostentatious yet charismatic glow means something else: possibility… more»
The Passion of Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace disgraced himself on the battlefield, put a bounty on Billy the Kid, and wrote one of history’s best-selling novels… more»
Is Wagner bad for us?
Fainting, crying, loss of self-control, moral atrophy: All have been described as effects of Wagner’s work. It’s worth asking: Is he bad for us?… more»
The science of monsters
The question of monsters is credulity versus skepticism: Science puts to rest tales of Minotaur and Medusa. And yet we want to believe. Why?… more»
Derrida: The excluded favorite
Young Derrida was expelled from his lycée; adult Derrida was an outcast in French academe. Is exclusion at the heart of deconstruction?… more»
Adam Gopnik on chess and AI
The mystery of mastery. How an 18th-century automaton teaches us about innate genius, rigorous practice, and sheer artifice… more»
Hobsbawm: The posthumous essays
What explains Eric Hobsbawm’s influence? His genius for conceptually framing history? His encyclopedic knowledge? His Marxism?… more»
The Baroness of bebop
“Bird in the Baroness’s Boudoir.” For Nica de Koenigswarter, eccentric jazz hound, life got complicated when Charlie Parker died at her house… more»