What does it mean that so many faculty members at the United States Naval Academy have recommended Ayn Rand’s work on the “Reading List For Life?”
The Naval Academy’s Reading List for Life
For Your Delectation
Today’s edition of Book Reviews Worth Reading: Kathryn Schulz‘s first official outing as the book critic for New York Magazine (on the late Anthony Shadid‘s House of Stone) and Anti-Matter author Ben Jeffery‘s take on Houellebecq’s The Map and the Territory. (While you’re at it, you might as well read Elaine Blair nailing Houellebecq at the NYRB (in the second-best possible way)…or our own Bill Morris‘ défense.
DPRK Footage
Skateboarder Patrik Wallner snuck some video footage of North Korea around the time of the 100th birthday celebrations for its deceased ruler Kim Il-Sung. His footage shines a vivid and personal light on what’s otherwise a very concealed and distant nation.
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A Sense of Danger
Recommended Listening: Renata Adler’s Longform podcast on writing routines and the need for acquiring a sense of danger.
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Hey, Hub Fans
Perhaps the best piece of baseball writing ever put to paper (duly praised here), John Updike’s “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” about Ted Williams is being released in a slim, stylish volume from Library of America this week.
Spillman’s Memoir
Recommended Reading: Rob Spillman, editor of Tin House, speaks with the LA Times about his new memoir, All Tomorrow’s Parties. Spillman was featured in our piece on literary editors’ favorite issues of their magazines.
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Free Poetry!
In honor of National Poetry Month, the Poetry Foundation will offer free copies of the April 2013 issue of Poetry. Sign up by March 24th!
I only counted three I think. I actually found the lists to be surprisingly ecumenical. There were only a handful that were packed with military histories.
I count five professors total, the majority of whom are in mathematics or engineering. I think the list overall is pretty interesting, though.
I’m not surprised by the Randian representation within math/engineering. As an engineer myself, I tend to observe more Randians within my profession than in the general population. A desire for seeing the world in black and white and for logical actors, I guess.
I’m amazed that someone could go through that whole page and decide to fixate on the Ayn Rand entries.