Articles of Note

Mo Yan isn't a dissident or an apologist. He is an individualist. ?A great writer has to be like a whale, breathing steadily alone in the depths of the sea?... more »

New Books

Moscow, 1937. Arrests, executions, 540 magazines, at least three jazz bands, and swank salons, at which Shostakovich and Babel mingled with secret police... more »

Essays & Opinions

God and booze. Ancient Egyptians drank beer; the Greeks praised Dionysus. Buddhists, Muslims, and Mormons take a dimmer view of intoxicants. Christians can't decide... more »