Week of April 1, 2013
Up Front
 The Conspiracy to Kill MLK: Not a Theory but a FactIra Chernus's MythicAmerica At least according to the letter of the law. Tags: assassinations, conspiracy theories, Martin Luther King, myths |
 HNN Hot Topics: Gay HistoryTags: gay history, Hot Topics, GLBT, sexuality |
News at Home
 Tipping Points: Is the Culture War Over?Steve Hochstadt The sea change in public opinion about gay marriage is just but one sign of a more radical transformation. Tags: Malcolm Gladwell, culture war, Republican Party, same-sex marriage |
 The Pope and the NunsMargaret McGuinness How Francis will deal with the American sisters will provide clues on how he'll govern as pope. Tags: Pope Francis, nuns, American sisters, Catholic Church |
 The Modesty Wars: Women and the Hasidim in BrooklynRuth Rosen Brooklyn's culture war between Hasidic Jews and yuppies. Tags: Brooklyn, Hasidim, New York City, patriarchy |
 Why We Still Need the Voting Rights ActSimon E. Balto In a country where a guilty man like Olen Burrage can die free, we still need civil rights protections. Tags: Olen Burrage, Shelby County v. Holder, Supreme Court, Voting Rights Act |
News Abroad
 Francis and Xi: More Similar Than You ThinkJeffrey Wasserstrom The succession rituals of the Catholic Church and the Chinese Communist Party are surprisingly similar. Tags: Catholic Church, China, Pope Francis, Xi Jinping |
 The Myth of the All-Powerful President: A Very Brief HistoryIra Chernus's MythicAmerica From FDR to the present, U.S. presidents -- and the public -- believe that they can control events on the other side of the world. Tags: FDR, presidency, power, myths |
 Look at Hugo Chavez Through a Latin American LensAlejandro Velasco He inspired a new wave of Latin American self-confidence. Tags: Hugo Chavez, Latin America, U.S.-Latin American relations, Venezuala |
 Macau: China's Unlikely Bridge to the LusophoneJoyman Lee China is using the former Portuguese colony to build bridges to Brazil and Angola. Tags: China, Brazil, Macau, colonialism |
 Beyond "Mission Accomplished"Andrew Wiest The anniversary of the invasion of Iraq was on March 19, but the anniversaries of the biggest military blunders are still to come. Tags: Iraq, Iraq War, anniversaries, military history |
Historians & History
 Making the Historical Documentary MakersRobin Lindley Acclaimed documentarian and journalist Betsy West on compiling an oral history of the women's movement. Tags: Betsy West, feminism, Makers, PBS |
 Moynihan's Moment ... ExtendedGil Troy The late New York senator was remarkably prescient about America's social and political ills. Tags: Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Israel, Ronald Reagan, United Nations |
Culture Watch
 At War With ArtJames A. Loewen The Smithsonian Museum of American Art's disappointing "Civil War and American Art" exhibit. Tags: art history, Civil War, Smithsonian, The Nation |
 A Murky Look Back at the 1969 Stonewall Riots and Gay HistoryBruce Chadwick Hit the Wall tries (and fails) at greatness -- but it's a solid play and solid history nonetheless. Tags: gay history, New York City, plays, theater reviews |
Books
 Review of John Burt's Lincoln's Tragic PragmatismJim Cullen Definitely worth making room on your shelf for this excellent treatment of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Tags: John Burt, Lincoln's Tragic Pragmatism, Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas |
 Review of Woody Guthrie's House of Earth: A NovelRon Briley The earthy political fiction of Woody Guthrie, brought to you by Doug Brinkley and Johnny Depp. Tags: Douglas Brinkley, House of Earth, Johnny Depp, Woody Guthrie |