Articles of Note

What makes a work of art an icon? Maybe a historical fluke. The ?Mona Lisa? became famous when it was stolen, and popularity begets popularity... more »

New Books

Jonathan Swift was an early adopter of the maxim ?Write what you know.' In his case, it was grotesque displays of bodily degradation... more »

Essays & Opinions

Not long ago, Tim Parks settled in for a night of experimental theater. Five minutes later, he was bored silly. His dilemma: To bail or not to bail... more »