Quick Hits

A miscellany; some good stuff I've seen recently, plus a fair dose of end-of-the-week grumpiness.

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Only in The New Yorker would someone write an article with "Hellmouth" in the title and link it not to the popular television show that began in 1997, but to a Norman Rush novel from 2003. It's not the highbrow trumping lowbrow: probably the true highbrow would link it to the medieval stage concept rather than the novel. Doing the latter seems like a sheer willful blindness about popular culture -- some of the very best popular culture out there -- mixed with a sort of failed highbrowness, one that avoids genuinely old and interesting culture while searching desperately for some "respectable" source. Ycccch. (Probably not fair, since James Wood, who wrote the New Yorker article, reviewed, & really liked, the novel. Still. Some of what makes me grouchiest about a generally fine magazine.)

The article in question is actually an interesting meditation on theodicy -- a topic which interests me -- although probably not anything new to anyone who's read that much about it.

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Speaking of Popular Culture, anyone who read the classic Claremont/Byrne run on the X-Men should really check out the issue-by-issue analysis Jason is doing over at Remarkable. And don't skip the comments -- a certain "Doug M" is leaving comments on almost every post that are at least as good as the main series. I mix it up in comments in this entry, but the series goes way back. Although if you've never read the comics, then it's probably not going to mean much to you. (I began reading the posts with #129, which is the first one I read back in the day...)

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This is hilarious: "The job of Vice President of the United States is an important one, with powers enshrined in the Constitution rivalling those of Miss Teen Delaware."

Not a new point, of course. But funny.

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Given the New York Times's sustained war of attrition on its own reputation in the past few years (one that continues to this day), it's really good to see that someone there who cares about news has counter-attacked by hiring Charlie Savage, one of the best reporters around during the Bush years.

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I know that we're all supposed to be totally over the Democratic primary now, but Matt Yglesias went and recommended this essay by Michelle Goldberg about Clinton's supporters anger at the sexism directed towards her, and identification with her. And I think that it's absolutely true, and important, that Clinton had to deal with a lot of sexism in the campaign. But it infuriates me that so many of the women never seem to recognize the racism directed towards Obama in the campaign, and the identification of African Americans with him. What drives my anger off the charts, however, is that while the sexism in the primary came largely from the media and random supporters; while the racism came from the media, random supporters... and the Clinton campaign itself.

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Speaking of racism: this Rick Perlstein post on "the Meaning of Box 722" is an extraordinary reminder of how far we've come, in how short a time. A stunning piece, really highly recommended. (Another good Rick Perlstein post here.) (Yeah, yeah, I know: not yet, but my copy of Nixonland is on order...) Update: Perlstein has a follow-up, More Box 722, here.

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And speaking of the primary, lots of good post-mortems out there. The entire American Prospect set is worth reading (I linked to one above). Other good things from: Tim Burke. John Cole, part 1 (read past the opening), and Cole, part 2. And others; I'll add the links if I remember/come across them again. Update: Very key: this post by David Neiwert (via). Also this post from Jack and Jill Politics Neiwert links to.

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Finally, this essay by David Rieff on the death of his mother, Susan Sontag, is simply extraordinary. Filled with brilliant and astonishing moments. I'm going to resist quoting any -- it's too good. Just go read it.

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Thaaaaat's all folks. Enjoy your weekend.