December 2011
38 posts
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The Daily Scholar: False Religion →
William Deresiewicz muses on political rhetoric, ideals and his love for America.
Do I love America? I’m not sure. I think I maybe love it in the way you love your family. It’s a pain in the ass, but I’m stuck with it. I know that other places may be better, but it’s the one I have. I’m part of it, it’s part of me, but let’s not get too mushy with each other.
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Zinsser on Friday: Envoi →
With this column I’m saying goodbye to you and to “Zinsser on Friday.” After almost two years of weekly deadlines it’s time to change the rhythm of my life. I want to try a more informal kind of online writing—on my own website, williamzinsserwriter.com. Look for me there in the new year.
My best to all of you in your various life quests. Don’t forget to keep stretching your capabilities.
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What Kind of Father Am I? →
Ever since as a young soldier I saw that pale cone of energy vanishing toward the point that would bring the end of consciousness, I’ve had no fear of dying: those last moments of life seem to come easily, without worry or physical pain, as we slip back to our source in a natural world indifferent to distinctions and oblivious to time.
Professor of English at Cornell, James McConkey...
What ever happened to Theater of the Absurd?... →
utnereader:
Absurdism was important in its day. But perhaps we now demand more from drama than a cry of anguish at the absurdity of the human condition. We live in a world confronted by economic recession, social unrest, international terrorism and climate change. And, while dramatists are perfectly free to react to those events in any way they choose, all the evidence suggests that...
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The Daily Scholar: The Grammarian Was a He →
I was born, in 1984, into a largely girl-friendly America. At the encouragement of my parents and teachers, I raced, dribbled, debated, and problem-solved against the boys, and quite often I won. Nonetheless, for many years I remained under the distinct impression that men had more (how to express this?) personhood than did women, that women’s humanity, actual numbers notwithstanding, was...
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The Daily Scholar: Thank You for Your Service →
If we overvalue military service, we undervalue almost every other occupation (Only “job creators” also win our cultural approval now). Think of nurses and teachers, two groups of people who deserve a lot more recognition than they get: who put up with long hours, tough conditions, and mediocre pay to do the vital work of our society, often caring for people whom the rest of us would rather...
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The Daily Scholar: In Memoriam
If I believed in God, I would say that Karl was bringing Him his final manuscript. But I don’t believe in God, and neither did he. He believed in the future. He believed in us.
-William Deresiewicz on coping with the death of his college advisor
Read In Memoriam.
Longreads: New York Magazine's Jessica Pressler:... →
longreads:
Jessica Pressler is a writer for New York Magazine. See her recent stories here. (Pictured above, inexplicably, with New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in 2010.)
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Ok, so: There are no New York magazine articles in this Top Five, because I work there, and letting them in…
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Fiction: S. faux →
Her entire body was skinny, for that matter; her shoulder blades stuck out from beneath her T-shirts. She was terrific at calisthenics. She had a small curved nose with deeply incised volutes. When she was concentrating on something, her tongue protruded slightly. Nonetheless, in her iridescent pseudo-frailty, she was beautiful.
Edith Pearlman is the winner of the 2011 PEN/Malamud Award...
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