The Wednesday Curator – 1/14/15

January 13, 2015

When bad stuff happens and I’ve had day or two to digest the events, I usually look to the New Yorker for deeper thinking. Here, about the Paris events, is The Charlie Hebdo Shooting. Plenty of insights! (Expect my perspective this weekend.)

History Will Be Very Kind is the lead piece in a comprehensive review of the Obama Presidency, from the most recent issue of New York magazine. Jonathan Chait and Christopher Caldwell offer the point/counterpoint, and the assemblage includes observations from 53 historians. Of course, no one can really judge a presidency well for decades, but both main writers are bright and observant—one cheats a touch here and there—and, given the temporal limitations, this is a very impressive project.

Why Romney Wants to Run by John Dickerson for Slate on January 13 is short and to the point, and makes the case for ABR if you’re a Republican. And if you’re into Mitt Romney, Mitt’s Multiple Personalities by David Graham for The Atlantic—also a January 13 piece—will fill your cup and then some.

From the Jewish Daily Forward, back in 2008, here’s The Rest of ‘The Rest Is Commentary’ by Philologos aka Hillel Halkin. I ran across this piece when I was locating a link for a recent post. The story from which “the rest is commentary” comes relates to what has become the Golden Rule, more or less. As you might expect from the title, my description falls on the “less” end of the spectrum.

On the food front, this week we’re focused on nostalgia. Peanut Butter with Sticking Power was written by David Segal for the New York Times on January 12. The focus is Red Wing PB, as well as WFB (William F. Buckley Jr.). And then there is Why Diners are More Important than Ever by Ed Levine, founder of SeriousEats.com. Both are great, pleasurable pieces, and both remind us about the democratizing effect of food. (For contrast read the Pete Wells review of Kappo Masa in the New York Times on January 6. Absurd prices; lousy food; otherwise, a great place!)

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