From Mother Jones, what unites the Vatican, lefties, conservatives, environmentalists, and scientists in a conspiracy of silence? A special report on population, the last taboo. From Earth Island Journal, a special issue on population and the environment. From New Internationalist, a special issue on population and demography. From Miller-McCune, an article on scouring Avatar, The X Files and, yes, even The Simpsons for sociological subtext. Models of migration: John Gravois on Arabia versus Arizona. Should epigraphs be thought of as part of the text, a sort of pre-modern, post-modern device, like tossing a newspaper clipping into the body narrative, or are they actually a direct invitation by the author, perhaps saying, “Look here, for from this inspiration came this tale?” Pompeii, the best-preserved Roman town in the world, still attracts millions of visitors — but its appalling state is a disgrace to Italy, Unesco and European civilisation. Jeremy Scahill exposes a secret Erik Prince/Blackwater tape. Gone South: Philip Jenkins on how the abuse scandals won't kill the Catholic Church — but it will make it look a whole lot different. An interview with Winfried Menninghaus, author of The Promise of Beauty. Ana Finel Honigman reviews Artists’ Sessions at Studio 35 (1950). Gabriel Winant on how Politico and Mike Allen are hurting America. From EnlightenNext, a special issue on envisioning the future: What today’s brightest minds have to say about the road ahead. The wealth of constellations: Can the free market save the space program? An interview with Ian Thomson on books on Jamaica. This is a humorous look (or not) on both postmodernism and structuralism, in a deferential way — the regression towards the mean concept is used metaphorically. A look at how the European debt crisis has same roots as ours: excess.
