November 19, 2012
Headline v. Headline pits the idiosyncratic slants of different global news sources against each other. Since the Israel-Gaza conflict erupted last week, nearly every country has taken a side.
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Headline v. Headline pits the idiosyncratic slants of different global news sources against each other. Since the Israel-Gaza conflict erupted last week, nearly every country has taken a side.
Read MoreFrom the mid-90s to the early 2000s, the Internet was a roomier landscape. People tended to congregate in AOL chat rooms, but if you were a little savvier, you found a home on your favorite band's message board. If you were one of those poor saps who actually had a social life during your teenage years, here's an A-Z guide to obsessive boardies.
Read MoreHow did you celebrate Kurt Vonnegut's birthday? With a Kilgore Trout-themed party?
Read MoreDisusage presents the contradictions and foibles of usage manuals, style guides, and the quirky folks who love them. This week: elegance — variously a virtue and a vice.
Read MoreThis year, I'm with the amateurs. I'm going to write 50,000 words in one month, and all the bad writing advice and literary snobbiness in the entire Internet isn't going to stop me. Here's how I'm going to do it.
Welcome to Clementine’s Weekly Reading Series, where Clem the hedgehog talks about whatever she is currently reading. This week: The Tao of Wu by The RZA.
Read MoreIf brevity is truly the soul of wit, then your Twitter feed is the Algonquin round table of today's digital Dorothy Parkers and Ogden Nashes. Here's a selection of our favorite tweets from the week; nominate yours by submitting to @blackballoonpub with #twitwit.
Read MoreIt’s no secret that I’m obsessed by book design. Emilia Terragni wrote a piece on the subject last week, but there's a lot more to say about well-designed books and their power to fulfill and confound our expectations. Check out these five pairings and you'll see what I mean.
Read MoreWith only a few episodes remaining on this season of Ru Paul’s All Star Drag Race, it’s time for all of the contestants to ramp up their game. In addition to a little extra sparkle (and a tight tuck), I think they could really gain from taking a peek at Alice Munro’s new collection of short stories,Dear Life, which hits bookstores this week.
Read MoreSome say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire,
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
―Robert Frost
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