Peter Murmann

The Atlantic Monthly came up with this list: 1 Abraham Lincoln He saved the Union, freed the slaves, and presided over America’s second founding. 2 George Washington He made the United States possible—not only by defeating a king, but by declining to become one himself. 3 Thomas Jefferson The author of the five most important words in American history: [Read More]

This comic musical is a lot of fun! It is not the history lesson about the struggle to integrate black people into mainstream America that captured my heart. I also did not laugh much. The film is not particularly funny. But the music and dancing is so infectious that many a times I wanted to [Read More]

By MERVYN ROTHSTEIN (NY Times)

Ingmar Bergman, the

He moved from the comic romp of lovers in

New evidence suggests that old Europe provides more opportunities economic mobility than the U.S. Even Canada comes out ahead. Read this interesting article by Clive Crook. Rags to Rags, Riches to Riches: Maybe it But is America any longer a land of opportunity for the people born here? The evidence, such as it is, points to a [Read More]

Queen Elizabeth is arriving in Washington in a few days. The state dinner at the White House is billed as the social event of Bush’s presidency. George Tenet is not on the guest list. The press is full of stories about whether George Bush will be able to behave as one is supposed to in [Read More]

Louis Menand reviews two recent books of quotations in the New Yorker.  After reading his fun review, I really want these two books for my library. Anyone forgot my birthday? Sherlock Holmes never said “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Neither Ingrid Bergman nor anyone else in “Casablanca” says “Play it again, Sam”; Leo Durocher did not say [Read More]