JANUARY 7, 2019 BEHIND THE DESK in my office is a portrait of the young Iris Murdoch painted by artist-philosopher Renée Bolinger in the style of Lucian Freud. Murdoch stares over my shoulder as I type, her boyish haircut bristling in oils, lips pursed, emphatic cheekbones gray-green-blue. I first encountered Murdoch as one of BBC […]
Blog: Histories of Violence: The Expulsion of Humanity
JANUARY 7, 2019 THIS IS THE 25th in a series of dialogues with artists, writers, and critical thinkers on the question of violence. This conversation is with Saskia Sassen, who is Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and Centennial Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics. Her most recent book is […]
Blog: Today: Syria, on Second Thought …
Two and a half weeks ago, President Trump stunned the international community and prompted his secretary of Defense to resign in protest by announcing a pullout of American forces from Syria “now,” claiming they had defeated Islamic State terrorists there. Last week, Trump said Iran “can do what they want” in Syria. But on a […]
Blog: Racing! Los Alamitos stewards’ ruling are in the house
Santa Anita Charts Results for Sunday, January 6. Copyright 2019 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 9th day of a 61-day meet. Clear & Fast FIRST RACE. 5½ Furlongs. Purse: $32,000. Maiden Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $50,000-$40,000. Time 22.22 45.48 57.45 1:03.74 Pgm Horse Wt […]
Blog: California Inc.: Will the U.S. and China finally make some headway on the trade dispute?
A new equality: The New Yorker profiles philosopher Elizabeth Anderson, who has advanced the theory that equality in social relations is the basis of a free society, an idea that conflicts with the popular notion that equality and freedom are in essential conflict: “What if they weren’t opposed, Anderson wondered, but, like the sugar-phosphate chains […]
Blog: Nine years after the McStay family disappeared, their accused killer heads to trial
Maroon 5 songs on the radio make him laugh — a reminder, he said, of how flabbergasted his son was to learn that he was a fan. The band Chicago reminds him of his daughter-in-law, because they shared a love for the group, and he often floats back to a memory of his grandsons — […]