Blog

Las Vegas and the literature of rejection

I was working on a story about Emily Katz Anhalt’s new book, “Enraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek Myths” (Yale University Press), when I decided to take a break with The New York Times online. The headline hit me in the gut:

“At Least 58 Dead and 500 Hurt in Las Vegas as Gunman Rains Bullets on Concert.”

The suspect, Stephen Craig Paddock, 64 – and, according to Las Vegas Police, also dead by his own hand – was described as a quiet, unassuming man with no criminal history by his understandably defensive brother. Of course, he was. The president called for peace and unity. Of course, he did. ...

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Reflections on a terrible week that was

The year 2017 is not quite half over but it’s already shaping up to be an annus horribilus, to borrow from Queen Elizabeth II. If the trend continues, we may look back on this past week as one of the most miserable of a miserable year.

The London fire, the Congressional shooting, the Michelle Carter case, the latest developments in Russiagate all point to a ruinous selfishness. ...

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Congress feels the pain of gun violence

For years, we have endured shooting after shooting in America. And Congress has done little to reform gun laws, caving to the National Rifle Association.

Today that indifference came full circle as an anti-Trump gunman opened fire on practice for a Congressional charity baseball game to be played tomorrow night, striking pro-gun Congressman Steve Scalise, the Majority Whip, and injuring three others as well. ...

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