April 2002

When he was cruel By Ira Robbins
It used to be easier for Elvis Costello to write good rock songs. Is it because on his newest album, this angry young man really isn't either? (04/30/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 30  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/30/2002)

"The Long Recessional" by David Gilmour By Allen Barra
A biography of the writer who possibly had the greatest influence on the 20th century argues that Rudyard Kipling was no mere racist, warlike champion of empire. (04/30/2002)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Just a B-grade murder. (04/30/2002)

Confessions of a Cuban housewife By M. Faraday
We are not married but he calls me his wife. He is not faithful but his lips make me believe. I could go home to America anytime I want, but the heat between us keeps me in the torrid zone. (04/30/2002)

David Brock is still wrong By David Horowitz
An e-mail letter that supposedly proves I really am a homophobe in fact proves just the opposite. (04/30/2002)

The madness of Newark's King James By Arianna Huffington
Eight-term mayor Sharpe James insists reformist rival Cory Booker isn't black enough to run this troubled city -- and Jesse Jackson plays along. (04/30/2002)

Brock, Horowitz and the anti-gay slur
Chad Conway responds to David Horowitz. (04/30/2002)

Angelina on Angelina By Amy Reiter
Jolie talks nudity, aging flesh; Joan Collins' hubby gets graphic; Kournikova sues Penthouse over photos. Plus: The Puffy Combs show? (04/30/2002)

Playing the Social Security card By Ben Fritz
The Democrats try to scare seniors -- but is their plan any better? (04/30/2002)

He's sweet, but ... By Cary Tennis
I'm married to a loving partner with an endless list of positive attributes and one glaring flaw: He is a horrible kisser. (04/30/2002)

"The Long Boom" is back! By Katharine Mieszkowski
Recession? What recession? A coauthor of 1999's infamously optimistic screed says the future is still bright. (04/30/2002)

The Holiday Inn sign By Andrew Nelson
Exploding with color, optimism and razzle-dazzle, the now-extinct Holiday Inn "Great Sign" was a true design landmark of the American century. (04/29/2002)

Voice of the Poet: Langston Hughes
Listen to Hughes read three poems, including the famed "Harlem." (04/29/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 29  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/29/2002)

Salon recommends
A teeny, tiny, golden devil and more of our favorite books. (04/29/2002)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
What if the guy in charge doesn't have a clue about foreign policy? (04/29/2002)

Hankie logic By Sarah Lehman
The handkerchief is plain but not simple. (04/29/2002)

Another brilliant idea from the GOP By Joe Conason
Hey, let's give all our hard-earned Social Security money to those trustworthy people on Wall Street! (04/29/2002)

Carl Pope By Amy Standen
Is the leader of the Sierra Club fighting hard enough against Bush's pillage and plunder policies? (04/29/2002)

All they feel is love By Amy Reiter
McCartney denies Heather/Stella feud; Tobey takes black widow in Spidey stride; Rupert nixes gay Bond idea; "The Bachelor's" Michel whimpers about reality! (04/29/2002)

Our new favorite despot By Ken Silverstein
The dictator of Equatorial Guinea runs his country like a dungeon. But he's suddenly awash in black gold, so big oil and the Bush White House find him utterly charming. (04/29/2002)

Whatever happened to SDMI? By Ron Harris
(04/29/2002)

The browning of America By Suzy Hansen
Author Richard Rodriguez talks about the erotic conundrum of race mixing in America, his strange love for Richard Nixon and why George W. Bush is our first Hispanic president. (04/27/2002)

Salon Premium turns 1
Subscribers weigh in on Salon's program. (04/27/2002)

"Can you sentence to death someone who did not kill?" By Julian Guthrie
Zacarias Moussaoui's French attorney defends his client -- and blasts the U.S.'s "barbaric" death penalty. (04/27/2002)

The Gumball 3000 rally: Yet another reason to hate the rich By Cintra Wilson
Depraved rock stars and party-hearty Playmates in overpowered Toadmobiles are our betters, and as they careen across America we must bow before their power. (04/27/2002)

AOL Instant Messenger is hacked By David Cassel
Three 17-year-olds take credit for inserting pornographic images into America Online's widely used chat service. (04/27/2002)

"Life or Something Like It" By Stephanie Zacharek
Playing a TV newsbabe facing mortality, Angelina Jolie never lets her shellacked Marilyn 'do come undone. (04/26/2002)

"The Salton Sea" By Charles Taylor
Hey, remember the mid-'90s, when every young filmmaker wanted to make pulpy, pop-culture-driven, Tarantino-style black comedies? Nope, me neither. (04/26/2002)

"Rain" By Stephanie Zacharek
This New Zealand coming-of-age movie isn't really about anything. When it's this rich and luscious, who cares? (04/26/2002)

"Nine Queens" By Jeff Stark
Who's conning whom in Fabián Bielinsky's dazzling house of games, when two low-rent con men take on the Argentine economy? (04/26/2002)

Teen Times Read by Chris Gannon
Listen to a story by Paul Rudnick in which he suggests headlines for imaginary teen publications -- an excerpt from "Fierce Pajamas," a collection of humor writings from the New Yorker. (04/26/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 26  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/26/2002)

"The Dive From Clausen's Pier" by Ann Packer By Suzy Hansen
A young woman must choose between her suddenly quadriplegic fiancé and a brand new life in the big city. (04/26/2002)

"The Horned Man" by James Lasdun By Laura Miller
A professor on the sexual harassment committee becomes convinced a philandering homicidal derelict is hiding in his office. (04/26/2002)

"The Impressionist" by Hari Kunzru By Laura Miller
A mixed-race boy who can pass as Indian or British makes an epic, Dickensian journey through the subcontinent, Oxford and furthest Africa. (04/26/2002)

"The Birthday of the World" by Ursula K. Le Guin By Suzy Hansen
Stories set in other universes and in outer space explore the intimate dilemmas of religion, sex, gender and family. (04/26/2002)

"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer By Laura Miller
In hilariously mangled English, a Ukrainian boy describes his efforts to help a young American Jew find the village his grandfather fled in World War II. (04/26/2002)

What to read in April By Salon's critics
A literary bouquet of (mostly) first novels, featuring a great impostor, an English-mangling Ukrainian translator and a philandering homicidal derelict. (04/26/2002)

Getting the goods By A.R. Torres
Eight months after Sept. 11, I thought I'd buried all of my husband. Finding more of him has meant granting Eddie one last wish. (04/26/2002)

Baby panic and drug tests
Readers respond to recent articles on Sylvia Ann Hewlett and mandatory drug testing in public schools. (04/26/2002)

The new Meccas By King Kaufman
The sports world is finding itself paying attention to two places it usually ignores: Montreal and Memphis. (04/26/2002)

See no evil By Eugene Cullen Kennedy
By utterly failing to address the church's sex abuse scandal this week in Rome, the Catholic aristocracy demonstrated its complete irrelevance. (04/26/2002)

Spunky Kingston By Amy Reiter
"ER" doc rails against "The Bachelor"; Sarah Michelle Gellar won't rule out Playboy. Plus: Jewel badly hurt in horse mishap; and D'Angelo charged for driving on suspended license. (04/26/2002)

Volunteerism! By Mark Fiore
It's not just for do-gooders anymore. (04/26/2002)

How angry are the Saudis? By Eric Boehlert
After leaked threats to "use the oil weapon" and blunt talk at a Texas summit, a Mideast expert helps untangle diplomatic appearance and reality. (04/27/2002)

Energy's big tease By Megan Twohey
The department releases a list of documents it won't give the public, as critics complain of more stonewalling. (04/26/2002)

All in a name By Bryan Keefer
Is "Daschle Democrat" a vicious slur or the height of flattery? (04/26/2002)

Fornicating in the rowboat By David Bowman
A correspondence concerning erotic 19th century lithographs with Hans-Jürgen Döpp (04/26/2002)

A law to protect spyware By Chris Wenham
Sen. Fritz Hollings is pushing a bill that supposedly safeguards online privacy -- but actually gives intrusive marketers a green light. (04/26/2002)

"Musician to Napster Judge: Let My Music Go"
By Damien Cave (04/26/2002)

Spyware vs. anti-spyware By Damien Cave
The author of Ad-Aware, a program that removes sneaky software, explains what happened when his own program was zapped by the enemy. (04/26/2002)

Every damn sports show at the same time By Carina Chocano
It's news! It's chat! It's recipes and jewelry tips and bimbonics and fat-cheerleader jokes! Welcome to the frat-house hangout zone of "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period." (04/25/2002)

One ring to rule them all By Heather Havrilesky
From post-"Bridget" fiction to ABC's frightening "The Bachelor," the wedding porn genre mates emasculated Mr. Rights with soulless, life-size Barbies. (04/25/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 25  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/25/2002)

"The Real War on Terrorism"  
By Mark Scheffler (04/25/2002)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com. (04/25/2002)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The Bush Administration Players present: Adam Smith & the Genius of Capitalism (04/25/2002)

Happy birthday, Salon Premium
(04/25/2002)

Lynda Barry
Odd Birds (04/25/2002)

Don Nelson and black big men By King Kaufman
The Mavericks coach doesn't ever seem to click with them. Plus: The NBA doesn't call them play-OFFS for nothing. (04/25/2002)

Can Sharon fend off the U.N.? By Aluf Benn
The Israeli prime minister is wrangling with Kofi Annan over the scope of the inquiry into what happened at Jenin, and finds that U.S. backing sometimes has its limits. (04/25/2002)

The New York Sun's not-so-bright debut By Eric Boehlert
Its support for Israel is unwavering -- but New York's just-launched paper is a little shakier when it comes to editorial fundamentals. (04/25/2002)

Media Blake-out By Arianna Huffington
It didn't take long for the pious post-9/11 media to overdose on overwrought, over-the-top, overkill celebrity scandal coverage. (04/25/2002)

Lost speeches of W. By Chris Colin
My fellow Americans: Today I made a J-turn in a Camaro and fired many guns! Evildoers, shudder in fear! (04/25/2002)

Mighty aphrodisiac By Amy Reiter
Tea Leoni mysteriously falls for the Woodman; DeGeneres gets Amish; catfight between Boy George and Madonna! Plus: New wrinkle in Angelil's rape case. (04/25/2002)

Endangered species: The Jewish dove By Anthony York
Groups holding out for peace try to counteract a growing image of American Jews as pro-Sharon -- and, increasingly, pro-Bush. (04/25/2002)

"Sexy Beast" By David Thomson
What makes the movie so good, and so English, finally, is the ambivalence of Don Logan -- for this monster, this demon, this beast is also the life force. (04/25/2002)

Inside the Xbox By Dennis McCauley
Sales have been disappointing, and the co-creator of Microsoft's game console just quit his job -- a day before a book portraying him as a hero hit the bookstores. (04/25/2002)

"The beauty contest" By Dean Takahashi
Bill Gates presides as Microsoft's WebTV and Xbox development teams duel for the honor of attacking Sony. (04/25/2002)

"Girls Can't Swim" By Charles Taylor
Yes, these cute French lesbians have adorable breasts, but haven't we seen these C-cups before? (04/24/2002)

"Murderous Maids" By Stephanie Zacharek
French director Jean-Pierre Denis provides a subtle, resonant retelling of one of the 20th century's most famous true-crime tales. (04/24/2002)

"Chelsea Walls" By Andrew O'Hehir
Once you give up hoping that anything will really happen in Ethan Hawke's drifty, pretentious directorial debut, it's easier to settle into the mid-'70s nothingness atmosphere. (04/24/2002)

Dylan Thomas: The Caedmon Collection, Part 2
Download an hour of recordings including the poem "If I Were Tickled by the Rub of Love" and the story "In Country Sleep." (04/24/2002)

Who was Hannah Crafts? By Timothy Davis
When Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered a handwritten manuscript purported to be the first novel by a fugitive African-American woman slave, it was time to call in the literary detectives (04/24/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 24  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/24/2002)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
You could see it in her eyes. (04/24/2002)

France's vacation from democracy By Noah Sudarsky
Jean-Marie Le Pen owes his victory to liberal voters who didn't bother to cast ballots for Lionel Jospin. (04/24/2002)

An Ugly American rejoices By Nina Burleigh
Le Pen's victory goes a long way toward wiping the smirk of moral superiority off the faces of Parisians who love to bash America. (04/24/2002)

The corporate sports rip-off By Allen Barra
Why are taxpayers still subsidizing professional football and basketball? (04/24/2002)

The myth of the media's anti-Israel bias By Robert Scheer
The truths on both sides of the Middle East conflict are unfathomably ugly, and the media has done a good job in reporting it. (04/24/2002)

Look who's nuts By Amy Reiter
De Matteo from "The Sopranos" neuters own pooch; Bullock gives Chaplin foot job; Kerr poses for unfortunate photo; Spidey spins web of disgusting meat references! (04/24/2002)

Gore Vidal By Gary Kamiya
Congress should investigate how much the Bush "oil junta" knew in advance about Sept. 11. This and other bombshells from American literature's leading provocateur. (04/24/2002)

Going nuclear By Megan Twohey
A cornerstone of President Bush's welfare plan -- funding programs that push marriage -- is already getting heavy hype. (04/24/2002)

Since you asked: The jealous woman
by Cary Tennis (04/24/2002)

Can you Riverdance for me, honey? By Meera Atkinson
At New York's fetish salons, it's all about fantasy -- some guys want to sniff you and others want to watch your feet move in clogs. (04/24/2002)

Huge corporation, can you spare a dime? By Dave Lindorff
U.S. corporations swarm to tax-free Delaware like flies to honey. But with a huge budget deficit looming, the state's chief justice is suggesting big business lend a hand. (04/24/2002)

Kinda sorta buried alive! By Chris Green
What hath reality TV wrought? Amateur Michigan filmmakers are accused of kidnapping, and the tabloid shows eat it up. But the real culprit may be the entertainment industry's phony cult of "realness." (04/23/2002)

Dog bites, cellphones and an incest invitation By Cary Tennis
Humanity is apparently in steep decline. (04/23/2002)

The real war on terrorism By Mark Scheffler
Robert Young Pelton, author of "The World's Most Dangerous Places," says the U.S. military has killed "thousands and thousands" of people in Afghanistan, al-Qaida is a myth and the WTC was brought down by a "Mickey Mouse" outfit. (04/23/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 23  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/23/2002)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
"Frat King Coal" (04/23/2002)

A woman's place By Michelle Goldberg
It's been 12 years since "Backlash" -- it must be time to scare women into domestic submission again. (04/23/2002)

The baby panic By Joan Walsh
Sylvia Ann Hewlett says young women should start husband-hunting in their 20s if they don't want to end up childless and sad. But she's as clueless about balancing work and family as the career-first feminists she decries. (04/23/2002)

A letter from the editor of "Defrocked" By Tom McNichol
In these hard times, ex-priests need community, too, and now there's a magazine just for them! (04/23/2002)

Why is diversity such a drag? By Arianna Huffington
Schools and businesses make blending cultures seem like castor oil, painful but necessary. If you want to know why we mix, head to the movies. (04/23/2002)

The Harding they come, the Harding they fall By Amy Reiter
Tonya cited for drunken driving accident; Lisa Bonet grumps out of "Cosby" reunion; Rod Stewart: "I'm like a rabbit." Plus: Next chapter of Hurley-Bing; and Sharon Stone recovering. (04/23/2002)

Archive of grief By Jennifer Liberto
Among the thousands of e-mails the Justice Department received about its Sept. 11 compensation fund were moving personal stories -- which may now face the federal dustbin (04/23/2002)

Sex ed or abuse? By Cary Tennis
The woman I love wants me to show my penis to her 11-year-old daughter. (04/23/2002)

Musician to Napster judge: Let my music go By Damien Cave
A 1960s-era recording artist says he can't get Sony to pay royalties, so his psychedelic pop might as well be free. (04/23/2002)

Brady's portrait of Grant By Jeff Galipeaux
On a June afternoon in 1864, Mathew Brady invented candid portrait photography -- and changed our vision of American masculinity. (04/22/2002)

Real Life Rock Top 10 By Greil Marcus
(04/22/2002)

The Voice of the Poet: Wallace Stevens
Listen to a rare recording of Stevens reading his poems "To the One of Fictive Music" and "Not Ideas About the Thing but the Thing Itself." (04/22/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 22  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/22/2002)

Bones of contention By Juno Gregory
The ongoing debate over where the first Americans came from has anthropologists battling with Native Americans, white supremacists and the Army Corps of Engineers. (04/22/2002)

Salon recommends
Stylish new Wodehouse editions and more of our favorite books. (04/22/2002)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
A scientific explanation of the Mideast crisis. (04/22/2002)

Why drug tests flunk By Janelle Brown
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of drug testing in public schools, will students come clean? Kids at schools in Indiana, where drug tests rule, say no way. (04/22/2002)

Justice Kennedy should recuse himself By Eric Blumenson
His intemperate remarks in a crucial school drug-testing case clearly betray unacceptable bias. (04/22/2002)

Cruise missile? By Amy Reiter
Tom wants to be first star in space; Bing reaches out -- sort of -- to baby Hurley; Liam recovers from accident, wife bans him from bikes! (04/22/2002)

Digging for computer dirt By Steve Mollman
Collecting obsolete tape drives used to be an eccentric hobby. But now that corporate lawsuits can hinge on unearthing ancient digital data, stocking up on funky hardware is good business. (04/22/2002)

The Enron bonus plan By Arianna Huffington
A bankruptcy judge approves millions in new bonuses for "key" Enron employees. (04/20/2002)

Al Franken By Douglas Cruickshank
The political satirist scripts lines the Democrats could have used to win in 2000, muses on torture and orgasms -- and remains "concerned" about Rush Limbaugh. (04/20/2002)

Spineless Democrats and Sharon's war
Readers respond to articles by David Talbot and Flore de Préneuf. (04/20/2002)

"World Traveler" By Charles Taylor
Share the dull exploits of Billy Crudup, philandering schmuck, in this tedious tale of middle-aged angst. (04/19/2002)

"The Scorpion King" By Stephanie Zacharek
Pro wrestler the Rock and his oil-slicked pecs showboat in a poison-dart actioner -- some good, old-fashioned Saturday afternoon trash. (04/19/2002)

"Enigma" By Charles Taylor
Kate Winslet enlivens a clunky, honorable yarn about the tea-guzzling English eccentrics who broke the Nazi codes. (04/19/2002)

"Murder by Numbers" By Andrew O'Hehir
Sandra Bullock faces off against homoerotic teenage Nietzscheans in a preposterously dull thriller. (04/19/2002)

"The Triumph of Love" By Stephanie Zacharek
This intelligent, breezy romantic comedy sings a love song to theater. Plus, there's a hunky lug and Mira Sorvino in drag. (04/19/2002)

The week in dirt By Amy Reiter
Uncle Eltie takes care of Liz Hurley and baby. Plus: Christina Applegate's spousal surprise, Madonna's adult TV show and more. (04/19/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 19  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/19/2002)

"Culture War Is Hell"  
By Louis Bayard (04/19/2002)

What's so bad about good sex? By Amy Benfer
"Harmful to Minors" author Judith Levine talks about why American parents are afraid of their teenagers' sexuality, says kids know the difference between coercion and consent -- and blasts critics who say she advocates pedophilia. (04/19/2002)

Jenin ground zero By Ferry Biedermann
Exactly what happened in the devastated Jenin refugee camp remains unknown. But for its residents, "There is no future left." (04/19/2002)

Everybody must get stoned By King Kaufman
Our man heads to the Great White North to try his hand at the king of slow-motion, broom-assisted sports: Curling. (04/19/2002)

Peter Bogdanovich By Stephen Lemons
The director of "The Cat's Meow" discusses the truth about "Citizen Kane," the philanderings of Charlie Chaplin and the lies Hollywood tells us about death and dying. (04/19/2002)

Just don't call him! By Amy Reiter
Puffy's parents perplexed over variable nickname; Moby sad over non-head rubbing; Michael Clarke Duncan defends White House dis; Nicole Kidman hailed for sexpertise! (04/19/2002)

A tax-cut fairy tale By Mark Fiore
Congressional Republicans find a way to make us all live happily ever after. (04/19/2002)

Bushed! By Joshua Micah Marshall
Now that the administration has lost the fight over new drilling in Alaska, the oilmen are hungering for Rocky Mountain wells. (04/19/2002)

"I would challenge them to a duel" By Bryan Keefer
The fight over Arctic oil drilling brings out the wild beast in senators on both sides. (04/19/2002)

Trashing Patrick Leahy By Brendan Nyhan
The Republican National Committee claims the Vermont Democrat "disrespects" the heroes of Sept. 11, but the charge shows the GOP disrespects the truth. (04/19/2002)

What Penthouse taught us By Lee Quarnstrom
A former Hustler editor celebrates the now-drooping skin mag that taught American lads that a nasty girl with a B cup could be hotter than Hef's mammoth-meloned innocents. (04/19/2002)

The bull in Martha Stewart's china shop By Katharine Mieszkowski
Christopher Byron explains why his unauthorized biography has ruffled the "queen of whitebread living." (04/19/2002)

My dinner with Jon By Carina Chocano
Jon Favreau talks about "Dinner for Five," where Denis Leary eats with Famke Janssen, and Marilyn Manson terrorizes Daryl Hannah with stories about his amateur porn movies. (04/18/2002)

Galactic gasbag
By Steven Hart (04/18/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 18  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/18/2002)

After Oprah By Laura Miller
Her imitators and her critics misunderstand how she sold books -- and why she's such a tough act to follow. (04/18/2002)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Rosie to Tom: "I'm gay. Serve me lemonade." (04/18/2002)

A pie in the face of the Catholic hierarchy By Celeste Arbogast
As a woman, I feel marginalized by the church. But a bake-sale revolt led by elderly church ladies near Chicago has given me hope. (04/18/2002)

Sharon's war By Flore de Préneuf
A year and a half ago, liberal Israelis warned that if Ariel Sharon were elected, horror would overtake them and the Palestinians. They were right (04/18/2002)

Madonna not pregnant By Amy Reiter
Material girl denies voguing for two; Hugh patches up with Bing. Plus: "Survivor" scrapes bottom of own barrel; and Angie Harmon rallies peeps against peeping Toms. (04/18/2002)

All Bush, all the time By Eric Boehlert
Democrats are complaining that cable networks are covering the president's every move as breaking news. The problem is even worse than they think. (04/18/2002)

Bad energy By Anthony York
Will Senate Republicans derail the energy bill over drilling in the Arctic Refuge? (04/18/2002)

Eve was quite a lady By David Thomson
When Barbara Stanwyck's leg pushes up against Henry Fonda's white jacket it is one of the most erotic moments in American film. (04/18/2002)

Battle.net goes to war By Howard Wen
Is an open-source version of Blizzard Entertainment's online gaming service an illegal copyright violation, or just a good example of how the Internet works? (04/18/2002)

Hoop dreams meet hoop reality By Peter Flax
When three tall black men move into a rich, white Southern neighborhood, it's not a sitcom -- it's "Down Low," ESPN's minor-league basketball reality show. (04/17/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 17  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/17/2002)

Return to sender By Jonathon Keats
A collection of letters to J.D. Salinger, many from well-known writers, shows how the author of "Catcher in the Rye" went from man to myth. (04/17/2002)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com. (04/17/2002)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's little victories: Because small ones feel just as good as big ones. (04/17/2002)

Lynda Barry
In tribute (04/17/2002)

Holy media and unfair evictions
Readers respond to articles on the newest reformation to hit churches, and the latest public housing dilemma. (04/17/2002)

Believe David Brock at your own risk By David Horowitz
He didn't just lie about President Clinton and Anita Hill way back when. In "Blinded by the Right," he lied about me. (04/17/2002)

We're from New Jersey -- you're not By Allen Barra
Celebrities, championships, sylvan woods, deeply grounded people -- that's Jersey. The provincials from Manhattan will never understand. (04/17/2002)

Is the pro-Israel media lobby losing its grip? By Eric Boehlert
Polls show that the American public increasingly sees two sides to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- despite the best efforts of the neoconservative punditocracy. (04/17/2002)

Chief Parks plays the race card By Charles Rappleye
Black leaders are rallying behind the ousted LAPD chief. But his tenure marked the triumph of identity politics over reform, and his departure is good news for the city. (04/17/2002)

"Dracula's" secretary By Jonathon Keats
The resurfaced manuscript of Bram Stoker's legendary vampire novel reminds us that even a hack can create an immortal tale. (04/17/2002)

They always bounce back By Amy Reiter
Bratt married to post-Julia girlfriend; Beyoncé doesn't want your pity dates. Plus: Madonna plans "adult game show"; Hurley baby said to look like Bing! (04/17/2002)

Fight or flight? By David Talbot
David Brock's exposé of the Republican attack machine shows that Democrats have to get serious about fighting back. And that doesn't mean Al Gore's Florida-style fisticuffs. (04/17/2002)

Bush's Latin diplomacy goes south By Joshua Micah Marshall
The White House is embarrassed after the State Department's Latin American specialist pointedly fails to condemn the Venezuela coup -- and the coup then collapses. (04/17/2002)

A real burden on the taxpayers By Brendan Nyhan
"Tax Freedom Day" is here again -- but the anti-tax zealots behind it are fudging the numbers. (04/17/2002)

Sexy specs By Charles Taylor
Glasses, like small breasts, seem to be one of those things that women automatically assume men find unattractive. (04/17/2002)

The battle over Web radio continues
(04/17/2002)

Breaking into the movie business By Sara Rimensnyder
Everyone knows Hollywood sucks, but I stole -- and doctored -- Sony's "Sean Connery Golf Project" script to make it better. (04/16/2002)

"Men at Work" By Cary Tennis
I gotta call John, get Bill in here, Walter have a look at this, get George on the phone, fax it to Max, he's lunching at Dave's ... (04/16/2002)

"This Dark World" by Carolyn S. Briggs By Stephanie Zacharek
A woman describes her ecstatic conversion to Christian fundamentalism and her slow, difficult journey out again. (04/16/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 16  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/16/2002)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
As crude as they want to be. (04/16/2002)

I've never liked you By Carolyn Magner Mason
For a brief decade, I was the most popular member of the family. Then my daughter turned 14. (04/16/2002)

Saving Arafat, again By Asla Aydintasbas
Time after time, Israel and the U.S. have made sure that the Palestinian leader survives the corruption of his regime, the doubts of his henchmen, and the anger of his people. (04/16/2002)

Can this peace mission be saved? By Aluf Benn
With the arrest of the Palestinian intifada's ground commander Marwan Barghouthi, Ariel Sharon is riding high. But Colin Powell hasn't given up yet. (04/16/2002)

Going tribal By Samuel G. Freedman
After the Passover massacre, American Jews have rejected their proud tradition of universalism and embraced its opposite: tribalism. (04/16/2002)

Israel rally critical of Bush By Anthony York
Pro-Israel demonstration supports Sharon -- and the lone Bush official gets booed. (04/17/2002)

From Milosevic to Sharon By Robert Scheer
Under Ariel Sharon's leadership the once-proud Israel Defense Forces is heading down toward the moral level of suicide bombers. (04/16/2002)

Next step: Mating By Amy Reiter
Pamela Anderson "elated" to be marrying Kid Rock; Applegate recalls years of turkey dating; Hugh makes nice about fatherhood; Britney and Justin: Will they fight for the manse? (04/16/2002)

Sex without love By Cary Tennis
When he's done with his other women he keeps crawling back to me. Why do we keep ending up together when the sex isn't even that good? (04/16/2002)

Triumph of the mod By Wagner James Au
Player-created additions to computer games aren't a hobby anymore -- they're the lifeblood of the industry. (04/16/2002)

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" By Jamie Allen
Was Nirvana's angry, culture-shifting 1991 anthem really a revolution? Maybe not. But it changed my life. (04/15/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 15  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/15/2002)

Doctors' errors, novelists' sins  
Readers defend Ian McEwan's "Atonement" and argue that computers should never replace doctors. (04/15/2002)

Media O.D. By Suzy Hansen
Todd Gitlin talks about media overload, the cluelessness of the TV networks, the Washington Post's love for Ken Starr and why conservative viewpoints thrive on TV and radio. (04/15/2002)

Salon recommends
F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece and more of our favorite books (04/15/2002)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Things that are not worth the loss of another human life. (04/15/2002)

The Father, the Son and the Holy JumboTron By Caroline Tiger
In the new Media Reformation, churches employ high-tech gizmos and hip spin to boost their diminishing flocks. (04/15/2002)

Tricky Dick's guide to drinking and toking By Tom McNichol
In newly released transcripts, Richard Nixon and Art Linkletter struggle to fathom the differences between demon rum and dope. (04/15/2002)

Proving Bud Selig wrong By King Kaufman
The baseball commissioner wants to shut down the Minnesota Twins, and fans fought back with a sold-out home opener. But will the city have to build a stadium it can't easily afford to keep the team? (04/16/2002)

A night among the refugees By Ferry Biedermann
Life in the embattled refugee camp of Jenin is one of fear and conflicting stories. (04/15/2002)

Beautiful mind or noodly mush? By Amy Reiter
Russell will fork over brain to science; Costner cranky about critics; Halle's breasts now off-limits; Timberlake vows not to degrade Britney! (04/15/2002)

In defense of copyright By Damien Cave
A top intellectual property lawyer argues that the Supreme Court's decision to review the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act is plain wrong. (04/15/2002)

No way out? By Ferry Biedermann
Palestinians fume at what they see as a U.S. tilt toward Israel after another suicide bombing threatens to derail Colin Powell's mission. (04/14/2002)

The golden age of porn By Charles Taylor
Critics sneer at XXX films. But careers like Juliet Anderson's offer as much to admire as those of John Wayne or Audrey Hepburn. (04/13/2002)

"The Cat's Meow" By Charles Taylor
Sex and intrigue on a Hearst yacht as Peter Bogdanovich probes the rot and glamour of old Hollywood. (04/12/2002)

"Frailty" By Stephanie Zacharek
In Bill Paxton's directorial debut, ax murdering for God isn't as morally nebulous as he thinks it is -- but it sure is grisly. (04/12/2002)

"The Sweetest Thing" By Charles Taylor
With two other dirty girls, Cameron Diaz mucks up one of the flattest, stupidest, unfunniest sex comedies ever. (04/12/2002)

Let's talk about "Sexaholix" By Ian Rothkerch
Actor John Leguizamo on his best roles, his worst film and another HBO special about his personal life. (04/12/2002)

"Human Nature" By Andrew O'Hehir
Hairy women! Trained mice! Dry humping! The second movie by "Being John Malkovich" writer Charlie Kaufman is even weirder than his first. (04/12/2002)

"Changing Lanes" By Damien Cave
Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson collide in a preachy revenge thriller. (04/12/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 12  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/12/2002)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (04/12/2002)

Culture war is hell By Louis Bayard
Sept. 11 may have brought the country together as never before -- but that hasn't fooled William Bennett. He is going cave by cave until every humanist and moral relativist has been smoked out. (04/13/2002)

Lynda Barry
Middle East crisis (04/12/2002)

Lurch and destroy By Lisa Moricoli Latham
A new study shows that college binge drinkers, now with more women in their ranks, wreak havoc on campus. Harvard researcher Henry Wechsler charts the damage. (04/12/2002)

When doves cry By Anthony York
Michael Lerner and Cornel West have teamed up to combat the pro-Israel lobby. But so far Ariel Sharon isn't losing sleep over it. (04/12/2002)

The rubble of Jenin By Ferry Biedermann
As Powell arrives and positions harden, Palestinians ousted from the refugee camp tell of widespread destruction, while a U.N. relief agency warns of disaster. (04/13/2002)

The Iraq-ANWR connection By Arianna Huffington
Will Saddam's oily scheme help save Bush's dreams of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? (04/12/2002)

Cruzin' for a bruisin' By Amy Reiter
Penelope's pop tilts at the rumor mill; McConnaughey denies getting nasty with Janet; Billy Baldwin defends Alec: "He is not a wife-beater." Plus: Winona set for day in court. (04/12/2002)

Presidential brother watch By Joshua Micah Marshall
Globe-hopping Neil Bush has impressive new business partners, but what are they buying? (04/12/2002)

Since You Asked: "Does Size Matter?"
By Cary Tennis (04/12/2002)

Naked interiors By Douglas Cruickshank
Manuel Alvarez Bravo's photographs of women are ethereal, carnal, dreamlike evocations of the subconscious landscape (04/12/2002)

Microsoft's mythical man-years By Scott Rosenberg
The company boasts that it's making Herculean security efforts -- but throwing more people at software problems rarely solves them. (04/12/2002)

Herman Munster, rock god By Carina Chocano
In MTV's smash hit "The Osbournes," George W.'s favorite Satan-worshiping metal maniac is just a frazzled, law-abiding dad. (04/11/2002)

The week in dirt By Amy Reiter
News from the nether world: Patricia Arquette dons pubic wig, Andie MacDowell shows butt crack, Monica Lewinsky speaks mind, entire movie made about Anne Robinson. (04/11/2002)

"Gaudí" by Gijs van Hensbergen By Douglas Cruickshank
The man who created the world's most sexy, emotionally charged and theatrical buildings lived a life of fasting and fanatical celibacy. (04/11/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 11  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/11/2002)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
God-Man puts his foot down: Stop the fighting now! (04/11/2002)

Pain pills and angry mothers
Readers respond to Damien Cave on the DEA's control of pain medication and to a mother lode of anger. (04/11/2002)

Back in the saddle By P. Smith
These days, because I am an airline pilot, people want to know if I'm scared. Of course I'm scared. I would be nervous flying with a pilot who wasn't. (04/11/2002)

Want to speed up baseball? Take away the home run By Allen Barra
But then managers and players will find other ways to slow it down. So relax and settle in to your armchair. (04/11/2002)

Can't stand the heat? Get out of the newsroom By Eric Boehlert
Thin-skinned journalists at CNN, the New Yorker and the Washington Post bristle when colleagues or readers question their work. (04/11/2002)

Sean, U-turned her on By Amy Reiter
J.Lo reminisces about Penn's old smooch; nude Madonna painter prepares for knuckle sandwich; Elton takes pity on poor mama Hurley. Plus: Lance Bass says Britney and Justin aren't through! (04/11/2002)

He's baaaaack By Joshua Micah Marshall
Top Democrats slam him for running a lackluster campaign in 2000 and blowing it in Florida. But he still dominates in polls of Democratic voters. Can Al Gore rally the troops for another run? (04/11/2002)

Bush stonewalling continues By Anthony York
The Department of Energy releases more papers on the Bush energy task force, but environmentalists say it's hiding the most important documents. (04/11/2002)

What's a turn-on? By David Thomson
I usually dream about women, but today I'm thinking about the sexiest living guys. (04/11/2002)

Make a million, lose a million, who cares? By Jeff Beard
Even in the middle of the dot-com boom, some start-ups weren't just about the money. (04/11/2002)

Galactic gasbag By Steven Hart
Beneath all the pseudo-mythic Joseph Campbell hogwash, the roots of George Lucas' empire lie not in "The Odyssey" but in classic and pulp 20th century sci-fi. (04/10/2002)

"Revenge" Read by Laura Blumenfeld
A decade after her father was shot by a terrorist in Jerusalem in 1986, Laura Blumenfeld went looking for the shooter. Listen to an excerpt from her story. (04/10/2002)

Dylan Thomas: The Caedmon Collection
Download and listen to the entire Dylan Thomas CD "A Child's Christmas in Wales and Five Poems," with a new introduction by Poet Laureate Billy Collins. (04/10/2002)

Hobbling history By Christopher Dreher
Scholars, authors and publishers go to court to fight the Bush administration's efforts to keep key presidential papers under lock and key. (04/10/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 10  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/10/2002)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Why wouldn't the government lie to you? Everybody else does! (04/11/2002)

Evicting Grandma By Janelle Brown
Elderly residents of public housing must police their children and grandchildren or lose their apartments. But the Supreme Court ruling apparently doesn't apply to the Bush family. (04/10/2002)

Sharon tests Bush By Aluf Benn
By pushing the limits of what the president will accept, Sharon is buying time to complete his military strategy. But is he digging his own political grave? (04/10/2002)

Hezbollah: Lebanon's paper tiger By Paul Wachter
Despite recent attacks, the militant group that drove Israel out of Lebanon is not likely to launch a full-scale attack from the north. (04/10/2002)

The slight ravages of age By Amy Reiter
Cameron Diaz laments her sagging chest; Bullock on Hugh: "We haven't kissed"; Halle survives Berry scary accident on "Bond" set. Plus: Sly Stallone's mom wants into celeb boxing ring! (04/10/2002)

Moore problems By Ben Fritz
A San Francisco activist claims she's the originator of Michael Moore's unsourced list of dubious Bush achievements in his bestselling "Stupid White Men." (04/11/2002)

"May prick nor purse never fail you" By Douglas Cruickshank
This weird history of two men's sex clubs in 18th century Scotland cries out for Mike Meyers and John Cleese. (04/11/2002)

Even lamer than a busted dot-com By Damien Cave
"F'd Companies," Philip Kaplan's obituary for online flameouts, is more pathetic than the companies it skewers. (04/11/2002)

"The Piano Teacher" By Jeff Stark
Isabelle Huppert's amazing performance anchors an old-style Euro-art flick that knows its Freud, its classical music and -- oh, yeah -- its seamy sex. (04/10/2002)

Sex, politics, collaboration and sex By Ken Foster
"Y Tu Mamá También" director Alfonso Cuarón talks about saving his spicy Mexican road movie from the censors. (04/09/2002)

Robo-docs By Ivan Oransky, M.D.
Medical errors kill more people each year than auto accidents, breast cancer or AIDS. Can automating medicine prevent tragedies like the Andrea Yates case? (04/09/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 9  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/09/2002)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Some cars are just bad. (04/09/2002)

Envy and good fish just outside the padded cell By Douglas Lang
I ate my first seafood Newburg during my stay at a mental hospital. Not all of us knew where we were. (04/09/2002)

Seafood Newburg By Douglas Lang
Orange goo can be insanely delicious. (04/09/2002)

Colorado's Rocky road By King Kaufman
How do you solve a problem like Coors Field? The Rockies are still trying to figure it out. (04/10/2002)

The Bush doctrine By Arianna Huffington
Speak very loudly and carry a very small stick. (04/10/2002)

Bloody Bethlehem By Ferry Biedermann
As wounded Palestinians hide in corpse-filled ambulances and militants bray defiance, Israel begins to withdraw from two Palestinian cities. But with hatred on both sides deeper than ever, does Powell's mission even have a chance? (04/10/2002)

Thighs matters By Amy Reiter
Hugh weighs in on how Britney weighs in; Hurley nets big money for baby photos, and sympathetic clucks from fellow Bing ex. Plus: Kenny's really dead; and Aerosmith rocks hot sauce industry. (04/09/2002)

In the crossfire: "Crossfire" By Eric Boehlert
CNN thrilled lefties by hiring Carville and Begala, but the show is too long and too incoherent. (04/10/2002)

Does size matter? By Cary Tennis
How do you know when it's over, how do you know if you are big enough for her and what should you do if your sister's husband wants to have sex with you? (04/09/2002)

Anti-Trustworthy computing By Paul Boutin
Microsoft's new security drive aims to appease Hollywood, comfort consumers and reinvigorate the PC. But will the price for such safety be too high? (04/10/2002)

Real Life Rock Top 10 By Greil Marcus
(04/08/2002)

"The Outer Limits" By Mark Holcomb
"We control the vertical. We control the horizontal." The creepiest series in TV history combined existential inquiry with a memorable monster menagerie. (04/09/2002)

Music preview: Cornershop By Ewald Christians
Five years removed from their last album, London group Cornershop are back, Indian style, with "Handcream for a Generation." (04/08/2002)

"Backstabbers"  
By Laura Miller (04/08/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 8  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/08/2002)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Ready to put your money where your mouth is? Didn't think so. (04/08/2002)

Raging mom By Dayna Macy
How do we deal with the ugly furies of motherhood? (04/08/2002)

Killing the messenger By Christopher Ketcham
William Harvey discovered the limits of free speech when he paraded a block away from ground zero with a poster of Osama bin Laden. (04/08/2002)

Joe Klein By Joan Walsh
He loved him, he hated him. Now Bill Clinton's foremost chronicler concludes that Clinton's presidency rose above the political -- and personal -- demons that beset it and will be remembered for its historic accomplishments. (04/09/2002)

A lesson in grace, redux By Amy Reiter
Stephen Bing maintains baby snub; Sarah Jessica Parker finally pregnant. Plus: Yogurt-hurling R.E.M. guitarist gets off; Bill Maher disses his girlfriends' sex know-how. (04/08/2002)

A unified theory of software evolution By Sam Williams
Meir Lehman has been studying the life cycles of computer programs since he was a researcher at IBM 30 years ago. One of these days he's going to get it all figured out. (04/08/2002)

"Lucky Man"
Michael J. Fox reads from his new memoir, revisiting the night he attended the premiere of "Back to the Future" with Princess Diana, and the day he learned he had Parkinson's disease. (04/06/2002)

The Wall Street Journal's smear campaign By Eric Boehlert
The paper's Op-Ed pages have long been a platform for political assassination. But their latest target is a rival paper that is competing for a Pulitzer Prize. (04/06/2002)

"High Crimes" By Charles Taylor
Ashley Judd as a knocked-around military wife brightens what might be the most entertaining big movie this year. (Not like that's saying much.) (04/05/2002)

"Crush" By Stephanie Zacharek
Happy! Sad! And more hoary clichis about what women want to see. I've never been this insulted by a chick flick. (04/05/2002)

"Lucky Break" By Stephanie Zacharek
Hey, let's put on a show! And bust out of the joint while we're at it! "Full Monty" jailhouse follow-up falls flat. (04/05/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 5  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/05/2002)

Her father's keeper By Suzy Hansen
Laura Blumenfeld, author of "Revenge: A Story of Hope," talks about tracking down the Palestinian who shot her father. (04/05/2002)

Abused husbands and emancipated foster kids
Readers respond to "A World of Hurt" and "Forever Young." (04/05/2002)

"My son was killed because of the occupation" By Flore de Prineuf
Israel's Women in Black say the blood of their children is on Sharon's hands. (04/05/2002)

Slouching towards Bethlehem By Ben Barber
Under intense pressure to intervene, Bush reluctantly dispatches Colin Powell. But does the president have a plan? (04/05/2002)

It's the schools, stupid By Arianna Huffington
If Democrats really want to take back the House, they should start talking about charter schools. (04/05/2002)

No rest for the creepy By Amy Reiter
Hurley hounded by stalker on day of son's birth; Billy Bob gets feisty about immigration trouble; Ozzy Osbourne gets White House invite; Lewinsky "not so dumb," says Lewinsky. (04/05/2002)

Poll-itics as usual By Joshua Micah Marshall
A Republican National Committee flack gets defensive -- and evasive -- as reporters try to pin down how much President Bush spends on pollsters. (04/05/2002)

Taiwan money scandal has White House ties By Joshua Micah Marshall
Bush officials under scrutiny in influence-peddling intrigue. (04/05/2002)

First and last tango in Paris By Luis George Brujo
An afternoon's love affair with a stranger, inspired by the dance of longing and loss. (04/05/2002)

"U.S. Prepares to Invade Your Hard Drive"
By Paul Boutin (04/05/2002)

Watson, come here, I want to fire you By Damien Cave
Angry at his predictions of global warming, the Bush administration and the energy industry strive to unseat a prominent scientist. (04/05/2002)

"No Such Thing" By Stephanie Zacharek
Hal Hartley updates "Beauty and the Beast" in an idiosyncratic, sometimes clumsy but not altogether awful movie. (04/04/2002)

Bad cop, worse cop By Carina Chocano
On FX's "The Shield," a squinting sheriff with a loyal posse dispenses vigilante justice to the lawless and the overly tan: It's a cop show George Bush could love. (04/04/2002)

"Big Trouble" By Andrew O'Hehir
Go ahead, laugh at this feebleminded Tim Allen comedy. You'll hate yourself for it tomorrow. (04/04/2002)

"The Voice of the Poet: Adrienne Rich"
Hear Rich read a group of poems called "What Kind of Times Are These," available on the latest release of the Voice of the Poet series edited by J.D. McClatchy. (04/04/2002)

"Stud" by Kevin Conley By Damien Cave
A New Yorker editor offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of elite horse-breeding, where one roll in the hay is worth $500,000. (04/04/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 4  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/04/2002)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The adventures of the Passive Aggressor (04/04/2002)

No relief By Damien Cave
The war on drugs is preventing many Americans from getting desperately needed pain medicine. (04/04/2002)

The monster in Egypt's box By Issandr El Amrani
Egyptian authorities are masters at containing protests -- but street rage at Israel and the U.S. may surge out of control. (04/04/2002)

Pokémon: Tool of the evil Jews! By Aaron Tapper
Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories -- many of them lunatic -- fill the pages of Egypt's government-run press. (04/04/2002)

Aero-nautics By Amy Reiter
Steven Tyler wants to join Lance Bass in space; Patricia Arquette goes public with pubics; Andie MacDowell talks nude scenes, sex life. (04/04/2002)

Tom Daschle's little MTV problem By Jake Tapper
A "Real World" star's sexual hijinks cause some grief for her brother -- a Daschle speechwriter whose colleagues are decidedly unamused. (04/04/2002)

Inner life By David Thomson
Production director Richard Sylbert created the erotic spaces in "Chinatown," "The Graduate" and "Carnal Knowledge." (04/04/2002)

Free speech and the Internet: A fish story By Katharine Mieszkowski
A legal dispute between online aquatic plant enthusiasts and a pet supply store illustrates the perils of casual opining on the Web. (04/04/2002)

No business like Shoah business By Michelle Goldberg
New York's controversial "Nazi art" show has exposed deep divisions among Jews over the entrenched "Holocaust industry" and its pieties. (04/03/2002)

Mirror, mirror By Helen Macleod
Alas, now even the great Ian McEwan has succumbed to the dreary trend of writers writing novels about writers writing novels. (04/03/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 3  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/03/2002)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Who says you can't learn anything from G.W.? (04/03/2002)

Baseball 2002: The fix isn't in By Allen Barra
So you think the big-market teams have it all locked up? Then I guess you'll be betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers. (04/03/2002)

The Palestinians' true cause By David Horowitz
The Mideast blood bath is not about land -- it's about religion. The Israelis' great crime? They're Jews. (04/03/2002)

Exiling peace By Ferry Biedermann
Ariel Sharon is smashing the Palestinian Authority and hopes to expel Yasser Arafat. But he may be opening the door to leaderless zealots whose fury will make today's atrocities look mild. (04/03/2002)

A night of engrams and clears By Sara Kelly
At the Scientologists' birthday bash for the late L. Ron Hubbard, it all comes down to the e-meter. (04/03/2002)

"Bush's Foreign Policy Catastrophe"
by Gary Kamiya (04/03/2002)

One Moore stupid white man By Ben Fritz
In his No. 1 bestseller, left-wing provocateur Michael Moore bashes Bush, Clinton and the corporate elite. Too bad he gets his facts wrong -- again. (04/03/2002)

Smoke gets in your eyes By David Bowman
Cigarette smoking is a metaphor for sex, says the author of a book on tobacco. (04/03/2002)

The battle over Web radio continues
Who benefits from the new rules? Point-counterpoint between the Recording Industry Association of America and an Internet radio pioneer. (04/03/2002)

Listen hear By Salon's critics
A roundup of recent CDs from Uncle Tupelo, Alanis Morissette, Clinic and more. (04/02/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 2  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/02/2002)

Who moved my iambic pentameter? By Elizabeth Gold
Forget National Poetry Month -- poets would be much better off if they learned to repackage their volumes of verse as self-help manuals. (04/02/2002)

Story Minute Carol Lay
The suicide bomber was the last of his people. (04/02/2002)

Seek, and ye shall find By Sheerly Avni
Passover is the Jewish day of remembrance. I forgot. But I rebounded with a sober yoga vegan Seder. (04/02/2002)

A world of hurt By Earl R. Mies
What do you do when your wife punches you -- hard? I learned to cover my face and stifle my anger. (04/02/2002)

Senior moment By King Kaufman
Juan Dixon didn't dominate as expected Monday, but he's the third straight fourth-year man to carry his team to the NCAA title. Isn't that funny, in an era when the great players all leave school early? (04/02/2002)

Will the U.S. rein in Sharon? By Aluf Benn
The Bush administration gave a green light to the West Bank escalation, for now, but the Saudi peace plan could still become a blueprint for diplomacy. (04/02/2002)

Anger and grief, from Ramallah to San Francisco By Janelle Brown
Palestinian corner stores are like mini-embassies in many cities, dispensing goodwill along with groceries. But in the wake of Sharon's assault, expatriates are mainly peddling fury. (04/02/2002)

"They view world politics as a billiard-ball table" By Damien Cave
Experts struggle to explain the Bush administration's off-and-on Mideast policy. (04/02/2002)

Bush's Mideast mistakes By Robert Scheer
President Bush looked the other way while the Middle East descended into a nightmare -- and now he thinks talking tough on terrorism is all he needs to do. (04/02/2002)

Just brilliant By Amy Reiter
Mensa calls Sharon Stone's bluff; Robin Williams goes berserk over sappy-haters. Plus: Crosby disses Britney, 'N Sync; Lyle Lovett's a hero, and that's no bull. (04/02/2002)

"Betrayed" by Bush By Eric Boehlert
Rattled by government raids on their homes and American support for Israel in the Middle East's escalating violence, American Muslims rethink their 2000 endorsement of the president. (04/02/2002)

Bush's foreign policy catastrophe By Gary Kamiya
The bumbling and arrogance of the administration has made the Middle East -- and the world -- a more dangerous place. (04/02/2002)

Not his type By Cary Tennis
Everything my husband finds physically appealing I am not. Is friendship enough to sustain a marriage? (04/02/2002)

Code free or die By Andrew Leonard
A new biography of Richard Stallman looks at how the free software mastermind got to be so single-mindedly stubborn. (04/02/2002)

Barry Bonds' 2001 season By Joan Walsh
Many baseball fans will never adore the San Francisco Giants' moody superstar. But en route to perhaps the greatest individual season in the sport's history, Bonds emerged as the wounded hero of a wounded nation. (04/01/2002)

Literary Daybook, April 1  
Real and imaginary events of interest to readers. (04/01/2002)

Salon recommends
A magisterial history of genocide, the best new fiction and more of our favorite books (04/01/2002)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
A patriot's guide to debating the war on terror. (04/01/2002)

A frock of memories By Janelle Brown
Hundreds of dresses with rich pasts flow into a project to get formal clothes to prom-bound teens. (04/01/2002)

Betraying Afghanistan, again By Anthony York
"Taliban" author Ahmed Rashid says the Bush administration is risking the success of its war on terror by scheming against Iraq's Saddam Hussein while Afghanistan is still in ruins. (04/01/2002)

Too much Juan Dixon By King Kaufman
Indiana is no "Cinderella." The Hoosiers are well coached and red hot. But only Maryland has a player who can take over a game. (04/01/2002)

Going back for more By Amy Reiter
Jolie and Thornton to visit Cambodia for Baby No. 2; Minnelli insists on hubby's sex skills; search begins for Milton's massive missing member! Plus: Lucas sued by porn producer. (04/01/2002)

Web radio's last stand
By Katharine Mieszkowski (04/01/2002)

Where are the Mahirs of yesteryear? By Scott Rosenberg
The Web thrill is gone, according to the New York Times, thanks to a critical shortage of flashes in the pan. (04/01/2002)