The mainstream media insists that the Democratic debates are wonkfests, dominated by hard-nosed, clear-eyed, policy debates. If you watched last night’s contest let me ask you: while Clinton or Sanders railed against… Read Article →
I was thrilled to see Svetlana Alexievich become the first journalist to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. In my years as a book critic, “Voices from Chernobyl” was one of the very best… Read Article →
By J. Peder Zane It happens fairly often. We’ll run a glowing review, and the author will contact me to say thanks. Usually I reply, “Well, you deserved it,” when what I… Read Article →
President Obama’s arrogance has now moved beyond dangerous. In 2008, he told his political director: “I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any… Read Article →
In light of recent calls for South Carolina to remove a Confederate Flag from its State House grounds, here’s the column I published in the Raleigh News & Observer on Feb. 8,… Read Article →
Every so often what passes for normal, everyday and commonplace proves to be so grotesque that we’re forced to step back and consider the world we live in. Thank you, Martha Stewart,… Read Article →
We live in an age of too much. Too much food is choking our arteries. Too much stuff is clogging our landfills. Our rambling McMansions and tanklike SUVs are deepening our addiction… Read Article →
I’m no eco-saint. But since the drought, my motto has become “it’s the least I can do so I do it.” My lawn is turning brown, just like my once-white car—don’t touch!… Read Article →
You never forget your first. That’s why Anne Fadiman holds a special place in my heart. Her splendid essay collection, “Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader,” ignited my powerful passion for… Read Article →
The sun was sitting high in the sky and I was near a shady tree as my kids splashed in the pool. Life is good. Then I picked up the paper: bombings… Read Article →