Category Archives: Current Affairs
President of the World: Eyes on Obama’s Prize
Yes, I know. The Nobel Prize committee got it wrong. A couple of days ago, the Nobel Prize committee once again snubbed Philip Roth, an American author whose body of work is prize-worthy. I was honored to be a student … Continue reading
Fake News & Public Relations
I’ve worked both sides of the street — journalist and PR guy. Actually, three sides — teacher. So perhaps there aren’t only two sides to this story. But it’s less of a story than an disagreement as to what counts … Continue reading
Filed under Current Affairs, Public Relations
What Obama Should Say Over the Beers
SCENE: THREE MEN SEATED AT A PICNIC TABLE IN A REASONABLY PRIVATE SPOT ON THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS. PRESIDENT OBAMA, PROFESSOR GATES AND SERGEANT CROWLEY. OBAMA: I know. I know. This is the biggest fishbowl in the nation. I’m almost … Continue reading
From Crisis to Poetry
Lead piece in this week’s New York Review of Books — crisis in the financial markets. a review of a book called A Failure of Capitalism: The Crisis of ’08 and the Descent into Depression. Failure: the father of crisis. … Continue reading
Animal Spirits
My sermon for today is taken from Animal Spirits, the title of a new book about the rising science of behavioral economics. A review of the book appears in the New York Times Book Review. What attracts me to the … Continue reading
Filed under Business, Current Affairs, Economics
Newspapers Die, but Not Graceful News Writing
To answer those who continue to make the silly claim that graceful writing has somehow been obviated by the Internet or by streaming video; and to rebut those who argue that news writing somehow lacks the creativity of other kinds … Continue reading
Filed under Current Affairs, Media, On Writing
Samuel Huntington Tribute
The resurgent violence in Gaza makes the recent death of Samuel Huntington particularly timely. An elegantly written opinion piece (“Samuel Hungtington’s Warning” by Fouad Ajami in today’s Wall Street Journal) contradicts the simplistic rejection of the author of The Clash … Continue reading
Filed under Current Affairs, History, Politics
