We weren’t the only ones who noticed. We just noticed sooner. So our question is: Is Frank Rich reading us? If so, there’s no crime in that. Hi Frank. We like the idea.

John Simon says he would have given Harold Pinter three Nobels in one — Radar magazine’s online Kulture Klub, the notorious Mr. Nasty, right, objects to

And now for a change of pace. . . . Three Poems (for Dick Wold)— Norman O. Mustill — Tireless Staff of Thousands Postscript: Should’ve mentioned that “Three Poems” was originally published 31 years ago in a collection of avant-garde artworks, “a great big diary” rather than an anthology, called the “Flypaper” (Beach Books, Texts […]

British writer The Swedish Academy notes that in his plays he “uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression’s closed rooms.” The academy made no mention of the Watch the announcement in six languages: Norwegian, Swedish, English, French, German and Russian. The academy’s prattle does not come in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish or […]

Looking through some old correspondence from many years ago, I came across a letter to the poet I gunned the old VW to Italy. I knew where my brass was. Before I checked in I’d stashed it in its custom leather holder under my right arm. I’m a lefty. It must’ve weighed nearly two pounds. […]

In his “flying off the shelves,” The New York Times reports, and “some stores already have reported shortages” — with Is

Murray Waas explains it all for you. Next comes Karl Rove, Postscript: “Lawyers familiar with the investigation believe that at least part of the outcome likely hangs on the inner workings of what has been dubbed the White House Iraq Group.” EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

Laugh yourself silly. EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

Brooding Vincent van Gogh. Sunny David Hockney. Two artists who could not be more different. Two artists separated by temperament and time, by style and technology. Yet both are united by their belief in the power of drawing. the Getty quotes him about his photocollage, “Pearblossom Hwy., 11 – 18th April 1986, #1,” above left, […]

We call it the It featured family photo from Didion’s private collection, and “The Year of Magical Thinking.” Couple all that with cover story of The New York Times Magazine (on Sept. 25) — an 8,500-word excerpt from the book (which we liked very much) — and it gives us an inkling that Joan is […]

We didn’t intend to take the week off. But it turns out that’s what happened. There was no particular reason, except a touch of blog fatigue, which was regrettable because we missed posting the BBC saga about the divine inspiration that led to the invasion of Iraq. press release, then as failure of nerve. That […]

He’s the blackest white man you’ll ever encounter: listen to it yourself), made with Earl Hines on piano, about James Baldwin and what Bessie Smith meant to him. As soon as Goodman’s interview with this national treasure is posted, we’ll put up the link. In the meantime, listen to this radio drama: Part 1, Part […]

On An Overgrown Path? It has a delicious worldwide blogroll of radio stations that lets you listen to Bartok Radio, one of Hungary’s three nationwide channels, which broadcasts 24/7 from Budapest. Or check out Pliable, and has listed more than 60 other foreign and domestic stations. It’s a great service. –TSoT EmailFacebookTwitterReddit

You don’t get anything like the buckfush.com editorial illustration, below, anywhere in The New York Times. But the subscriber-based Talking Points personal opinion pieces by editorial page editor Gail Collins. She writes about everything from fictional women in American politics, i.e., the new TV show “Commander in Chief” (“The Gender Landscape: It’s Reigning Men”). “Faux […]

Harriet Miers, right, the trusted adviser and legal gofer he nominated this morning to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court. What does that say about Miers’s judicial temperament, let alone his arrogance? Next question … So here it is: Did she really say (this comes courtesy of Salon.com’s David Frum is […]