What we read while wondering where Mo Williams will play next year…
- Nate Silver computes a simple but cool “Value Over Replacement Justice” statistic to show by one measure that Elena Kagan was the right pick over Diane Wood. We’re not totally convinced Kagan is an “Organization Kid” but David Brooks writes an excellent column arguing that she is.
- Speaking of Kagan, NYT Magazine has an interesting profile of her former University of Chicago colleague Cass Sunstein, a potential albeit unlikely Supreme Court nominee himself.
- John S reviewed the latest book for David Foster Wallace fans in April, and last week New York got a roundtable around to discuss Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself.
- Two older but still timely pieces from The Millions: Lizzie Skurnick on iPads, The Atlantic, and publishing; and Edan Lepucki on committing “social media suicide.”
- If you’ve read Roberto Bolano’s 2666 (like we did) or simply enjoy following violent drug wars, John Murray’s ongoing series about the violence in Ciudad Juarez–the inspiration for Bolano’s Santa Teresa setting–is a must-read. The LA Times has chimed in on the situation as well with some eye-opening graphics.
- It’s not a trick, Michael, it’s an ILLUSION!
- And for the nostalgic of us thinking about graduation (and limiting our scope to a certain shared alma mater), we present Duke President Richard Brodhead’s latest graduation address and Sam Wells’ sermon from last year’s baccalaureate in Durham. We’re not quite sure if either of them can compete with Steve Jobs’ infamous address at Stanford or the aforelinked speech from Conan O’Brien at Harvard. Of course for us, the standard is and always will be David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College.
