From n+1, an article on the receding public shoreline: what's happening over at Jones Beach. The energetic spirit of New York City: A review of Through the Children's Gate: A Home in New York by Adam Gopnik and Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen. A review of The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice by Greil Marcus. Opening doors to other cultures: An interview with Uma Krishnaswami, an author of Indian origin writing for children in the US. A review of The Book of Love: In Search of the Kamasutra by James McConnachie. A review of Elif Shafak's The Bastard of Istanbul and Maureen Freely's Enlightenment, two novels that bravely address the identity crisis of modern Turkey.
We need critics with cojones: For poetry to thrive, we need journalists and academics prepared to argue for absolute not relative value. James Wood, a senior editor at The New Republic, where he has been the literary critic for the past 12 years, is leaving to become a staff writer at The New Yorker. Giving the mainstream "moments of littleness": Small magazines inhabit a tradition of cultivating and nurturing big ideas until they're ready for a larger arena. Lingua fracta: With our common cultural vocabulary splintering or disappearing, it's not so easy to only connect. The greatest stories ever told: Reading to your kids can be rewarding for parent and child alike but, with adult literacy becoming a greater problem, it can also be an important educational tool. Pop Culture in 17 Syllables: In our brave new world of news bytes, instant messaging and dwindling attention spans, the haiku is making a comeback. One of the week's best invented words: Beautox, n.: "a condition that a girl or woman suffers from after bad, especially prolonged exposure to her boyfriend".
From Cracked, here are the 5 stages of a successful relationship (in a romantic comedy). Going Out With a Bang: A look at why we're hardwired for explosion movies. Joey is to Friends as Blake is to Milton. Discuss: A review of Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television by Lee Siegel. From New York, The Near-Fame Experience: Bravo shows like Project Runway and Top Chef are supposed to elevate the reality genre by putting a spotlight on those who actually deserve it. But the programs’ alumni say that meritocratic ideal is just another televised illusion; and The Resurrection of Don Imus: The shock jock rises, with a little help from Lenny Bruce. Ads We Hate: Slate readers nominate the worst of the worst.
From FT, a review of More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket’s Early Years by John Major; Test Match Special: 50 Not Out: The Official History of a National Sporting Treasure; Fatty Batter: How Cricket Saved My Life (Then Ruined It) by Michael Simkins; and Shane Warne: Portrait of a Flawed Genius by Simon Wilde. A review of Men in White: A Book of Cricket by Mukul Kesavan. A review of The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposed by J.C. Bradbury. At the Homeless World Cup, one game can change a life. Amid the frenzy over David Beckham's arrival, a different kind of soccer game unfolds.
