Arts & Letters Daily

Interview with Jackson Lears

thuudung — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:00:46 +0000

“All history is the history of unintended consequences,” says Jackson Lears. Good-intentioned efforts lead to self-defeating outcomes. “That’s the tragedy”… more»

Mind field

thuudung — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:00:37 +0000

The most curious thing about the DSM-5, the “psychiatric bible,” is that anyone would view the scientific-seeming manual with reverence… more»

The art of attention

thuudung — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:00:27 +0000

We’ve never been subjected to so much distraction. The remedy? For Sven Birkerts, a rhythmic trance aboard a stationary bike transports ideas to clarity… more»

Where Thomas Nagel went wrong

thuudung — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:00:09 +0000

Thomas Nagel’s critique of evolution isn’t shocking. What is shocking? That the ensuing debate about the philosophy of science has ignored the science… more»

Charm in American men

thuudung — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

What is charm? Some mysterious cocktail of wit, wisdom, worldliness, civility. But this much we know: Charm is a virtue in decline… more»

History of swearing

thuudung — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

From Chaucer to South Park, obscenity has evolved. Consider that in the 19th century, saying the word “trousers” could get you into trouble… more»

Is Humbert Humbert Jewish?

thuudung — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:04:58 +0000

Look at the odd relationship between Nabokov and his novels, and several questions are raised. Not least: Is Humbert Humbert Jewish?… more»

On Morozov and Lanier

thuudung — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:01:57 +0000

Evgeny Morozov has emerged as the Mencken of the Internet age. His target: the woolly, wide-eyed thinking of the Silicon Valley “booboisie”… more»

Thug lit

thuudung — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:00:14 +0000

Whither thug lit? Wahida Clark served nine years in prison and wrote three best-sellers. She lives the life she writes about. Her genre peers, not so much… more»

Small talk

thuudung — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:00:38 +0000

Among the arts of conversation, small talk – “Beautiful day out” – gets too little respect. Yes, it tends toward the trivial. But there is no greater democratizer… more»