By Myles Ludwig The cultural construct of the Other is a convenient paradox. On the one hand, the Other allows us to individuate ourselves and stake a personal claim on our own identity. One the other hand, in the best Talmudic tradition, it’s a pretty handy hat rack for our top-of-the-mind hates, prejudices, laments of every kind and description based on race, class, hair … [Read more...]
The war that never ends: Historian Winter to discuss WWI at Festival of the Arts Boca
French soldiers in the trenches during World War I. Imagine a world in which Great Britain and Germany are the major powers, and the United States and Russia are only minor players on the global scene. It’s a world of relatively conservative politics, where there was no World War II, no Holocaust, and no one but their families had ever heard of Adolf Hitler or Vladimir … [Read more...]
Beyond the pills: A look at mind over the matter of illness
Placebo-controlled medical trials “have been one of the most important developments in medicine, allowing us to determine scientifically which medicines work and which don’t, saving countless lives in the process,” writes Jo Marchant in this compelling new book. Researchers commonly test the efficacy of new drugs by dividing patients into two groups. One group receives … [Read more...]
O, say are you soused: ‘Drinking in America’
American history books rarely mention alcoholism as a significant historical issue. From the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock to the presidency of Richard Nixon, liquor influenced and continues to influence American society and politics. Susan Cheever has excellent credentials, having written extensively about her own battle with alcoholism and that of her father, the writer John … [Read more...]
‘Killing Reagan’ often gripping, but marred by focus on trivia
Only months into his first term as president, Ronald Reagan barely survived an assassination attempt as he was leaving a hotel in Washington, D.C. The would-be assassin, John Hinckley, fired six “devastator” bullets designed to explode and spew hot shrapnel on impact. The first bullet hit Press Secretary James Brady in the head, crippling him for life. Other bullets wounded a … [Read more...]
Arts preview 2015-16: The season in books
The best way to gauge the temperature of South Florida’s robust literary life is not so much through its mature and established festivals and seminars, but by some of the smaller, newer events and venues. Just last year, for example, the Palm Beach Book Festival’s inaugural celebration was more than successful enough to ensure a sophomore event, while in Miami, a … [Read more...]
Editor unearths ‘new’ F. Scott Fitzgerald story
In 1999, a 21-year-old upstart never suspected that resurrecting a classic mystery magazine would turn him into a sleuth. No, Andrew Gulli does not solve murders, like some young, male Jessica Fletcher. Instead, his work as the founding editor of the revived Strand magazine has led him to become adept at locating and publishing lost stories by famous writers. His latest … [Read more...]
‘Watchman’ a letdown, not least for Scout
Go Set a Watchman recently became an overnight blockbuster, selling more than 1 million copies in the first week. Book critics understandably sought to compare the storyline in Watchman with the theme in Harper Lee’s first book, To Kill a Mockingbird, which was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize. Some expressed surprise that Atticus Finch, the lovable hero in … [Read more...]
‘Missoula’ reveals hidden world of trauma under the ivy
When Jon Krakauer decided to write about non-stranger rape, he was “stunned to discover that many of my acquaintances, and even several women in my own family, had been sexually assaulted by men they trusted. … I’d had no idea that rape was so prevalent.” Missoula focuses on several University of Montana students who were raped by school football players. Krakauer warns that … [Read more...]
Profile tells us a lot about pope, but still comes up short
Pope Francis has impressed Catholics and non-Catholics alike with his displays of compassion and kindness for the less fortunate. Many will recall that on Holy Thursday in 2013 Francis visited an Italian youth prison, where he said Mass and washed the feet of 12 young inmates, including a Muslim boy and two girls, one a Catholic and the other a Muslim. It was the first time … [Read more...]