Month: June 2011

BRAIN OF NEWT

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In Sunday’s NY Times Magazine, the homework assignment from hell.  “What does Newt Gingrich Know?”  by Andrew Ferguson, who endeavored to read each of Newt Gingrich’s 23 books . . . and lived.  A great piece about a man who is a true legend in his own mind.   “As I write, a stack of … Read more

THE NEW YORKER: Uglie Olde England

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In this week’s New Yorker, a searing story by Lauren Collins about the town of Luton, which is blazing trails in the new frontier of Euro-racism. Unemployment, underemployment and culture have played parts in creating a festering mutual hate.  Muslims, for their part, contribute as well. Avery good read. Abstract here:

LETTER FROM LUTON about the English Defence League and the rise of the Islamophobic right in Great Britain. In February, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, delivered a speech on Islamist extremism to the delegates of the forty-seventh Munich Security Conference. In Cameron’s

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POSTCARDS FROM CAMP by SIMMS TABACK

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Just in time for the annual rite of kids going off to camp and hating it because, well, they’re kids, comes “Postcards from Camp” by Simms Taback. Simms is a great magician of kid lit, blending some tough reality with a guiding common sense, deep love for kids, all tied together with great warm humor. A kid’s first year CARE package will not be complete without this.

The concept is not unlike the trilogy of  Griffin and Sabine, but concise to the subject, Postcards captures the terror of camp as well as the process of discovery.  The conceit here is that both father and son are gifted graphic artists and can create beautiful cards for each other (in the Taback manner) to deal with the various issues that come up. So the conversation goes on on the front of the cards as well as the the back.

Of course, you don’t KNOW how HOT it is in the city!!!!

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2012 STARTING LINE

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With the first GOP debate tonight we begin our quadrennial exercise in self examination (or self abuse) known as the presidential campaign.  And they’re off.  Here’s my cover for this week’s National Journal.  Thanks to Ron Brownstein, editor and Jan Zimmeck AD. The stage is set, we have the candidates, wait . . . don’t tell Perry and Christie. And the woman from Alaska . . . I mean Arizona.


Here are some head studies done for the cover:

Mitt

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HAMZA al-KHATIB by Wesley Ryan Clapp

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HAMZA al-KHATIB Every US president, starting with Richard Nixon and ending with Bill Clinton has paid Damascus, the capitol of Syria, an official state visit. This tradition came to an end with Bush the Lesser, the invention of the Axis of Evil, and the implementation of his doctrine. For Bush, problems in the middle east … Read more