In most portrayals of Cold War espionage, both Communist and capitalist spies appear wedded to their respective ideologies. Yet real spies, as the FBI knows, often have more nebulous motivations. In the Times Book Review, Ben MacIntyre reads the latest by Ha Jin, which centers on a Chinese spy embedded in suburban Virginia.
In a Foreign Land
Cartoon Marginalia
Amid further discussion and exploration of marginalia, a discovery of cartoon marginalia in the New Yorker archives.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire Poet?
There's an oxymoron for you: "Rich Poet." But the new fortunes of Emirati poet Saif Al Mansouri prove that with talent, grit, and a live television audience, truly anything is possible. The UAE show "Millionaire's Poet," in its sixth season, awarded $1.3 million (the Nobel Prize. for comparison, is $1.2 million) to winner Al Mansouri, and perhaps something even more valuable - a global audience of up to 70 million, actually tuning in.
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The 69 Rules of Punctuation
Infographic of the Week: Electric Lit presents the 69 Rules of Punctuation in one color-coded, aesthetically-pleasing chart.
Margaret Atwood and Philipp Meyer Headed to the TV Screen
Here’s a double-shot of television news: Darren Aronofsky is said to be developing Margaret Atwood’s MaddAdam for HBO, and AMC has ordered an adaptation of Philipp Meyer’s The Son (which has been holding steady on our Top Ten).
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“How can you buy or sell the sky . . . ?”
Recommended Reading (and Viewing): “Skymall” by Tom Healy.
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Silverstein in the News
Shel Silverstein is the subject of two articles this week courtesy of The Atlantic and The New York Times.