Tweet Arthur C. Clark, a towering figure in science fiction and futurism has died at 90. Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose seamless blend of scientific expertise and poetic imagination helped usher in the space age, died early Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956. He was 90. Rohan de Silva, [...]
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Shelby Steele Puts Obama Under a Microscope
Tweet Shallow Nation picks polemics over platitudes anytime, and we note with interest that Shelby Steele, scholar and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, has written and spoken extensively and candidly about Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy. His conclusions have made some uncomfortable; the LA Times book reviewer a case in point. His recent commentary in [...]
Incomparable Author and Icon, William F. Buckley Jr., Dies at 82
Tweet William F. Buckley Jr., whose intellect and eloquence and lifetime of achievements made our shallow nation less shallow, has died William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. [...]
The Grinch Who Stole Thanksgiving
Tweet Robyn Gioia’s children’s book, America’s Real First Thanksgiving, is based on Michael Gannon’s scholarship that challenges the traditional Thanksgiving story. Gannon, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Florida, has uncovered the story of Pedro Menendez de Aviles: Gannon, 80, first laid out the premise of an earlier Thanksgiving in his scholarly book [...]
Epic Vietnam Novel, CIA History Win 2007 National Book Awards
Tweet The 2007 National Book Awards winners were announced last night. “Tree of Smoke,” a sweeping novel by Denis Johnson about the Vietnam War that features intersecting stories of an array of American and Vietnamese soldiers and intelligence officers, won the National Book Award for fiction last night. Mr. Johnson, who had been widely favored [...]
Judith Regan Files Massive Defamation Lawsuit Against Rupert Murdoch’s Media Empire
Tweet The lawsuit has created a sensation. Former publisher Judith Regan filed a $100-million defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and other defendants Tuesday, alleging she was asked by company officials to lie to federal investigators in order to protect Rudolph W. Giuliani’s presidential bid. She also charged that company officials had orchestrated a [...]
Video Tribute: Norman Mailer, Legendary Author, Iconoclast, Cultural Icon (1923-2007)
Tweet Norman Mailer has died at 84. The New York Times explores his larger-than-life presence in art and culture. Shallow Nation pays tribute in video: Norman Mailer and Marshall McLuhan in 1968, expounding on violence, alienation and the electronic envelope. A video of the 1995 conversation with Charlie Rose and Norman Mailer at the 92nd [...]
Studs Terkel, Legendary Author, Historian, Broadcaster Publishes New Memoir at Age 95
Tweet Pulitzer Prize winning author, historian, broadcaster and Chicago icon, Studs Terkel, has a new book, Touch and Go: A Memoir. Robert Chalmers recently interviewed “the world’s greatest interviewer.” He met everyone from Martin Luther King to Dorothy Parker, Tennessee Williams to Bob Dylan. He survived the McCarthy era to record a unique oral history [...]
