Apr 27, 2011

More Noted Things

by Cliopatria

Garry Wills, "A Very Christlike Kiss'n'Tell," New Statesman, 20 April, is an extract from his most recent book, Augustine's Confessions: a Biography.

Nico Voigtländer and Hans Joachim Voth, "Medieval Origins Of Nazi Anti-Semitism," NYU/Economics, April, argues that high degrees of anti-Semitism in 14th century central Europe were strong predictors of anti-Semitism in 20th century in Germany.

In Richard White, "Fast Train to Nowhere," NYT, 23 April, the author of Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America celebrates reduced government subsidies for high-speed rail.

Peter Duffy, "The First Celebrity," The Book, 25 April, reviews Barbara and Michael Foster's A Dangerous Woman: The Lifes, Loves, and Scandals of Adah Isaacs Menken, America's Original Superstar.

Judith Flanders, "Song and Dance," TLS, 20 April, reviews Charlotte Greenspan's Pick Yourself Up: Dorothy Fields and the American musical, Stephen Sondheim's Finishing the Hat: Collected lyrics (1954–1981), with attendant comments, principles, heresies, grudges, whines, and anecdotes, and Larry Stempel's Showtime: A history of the Broadway musical theater.

Ian Bostridge, "The ‘very particular' relationships of Lennox Berkeley and Benjamin Britten," TLS, 20 April, reviews Tony Scotland's Lennox and Freda and Philip Reed and Mervyn Cooke, eds., Letters from a Life: The selected letters of Benjamin Britten, Volume Five 1958–1963.

Rick Perlstein, "Inside The GOP's Fact-Free Nation," Mother Jones, May/June, argues that lying's been on the increase among Republicans.

Michael Kazin, "The Trouble With Independents," TNR, 26 April, argues that American Independent voters may hold the balance of power, but may also stand for nothing.