The Daily Rumpus
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From Stephen Elliott
A funny thing happened on the way to President Obama’s second inauguration Monday. The president’s speech and Richard Blanco’s poem got reversed.
Broadly speaking, one’s expectations of political rhetoric is that, at its worst, it reduces complex argument to slogans and platitudes or, at its best, that it singles out constituencies and individual citizens in order to focus on the day-to-day concerns that society can address.
...moreAndrew Sullivan is lighting out on his own, hoping his blog The Dish will make enough money to stay afloat without the assistance of the Daily Beast or any other publication.
His plan has a number of details that set it apart from other attempts to monetize online media: no ads (for now), no paywall (sort of), and an option for dedicated fans to pay over and above the annual subscription price, to name a few.
...moreAt The Daily Beast, Andrew Sullivan links to last week’s essay by Patrick Walsh, “Guns and the American.”
Thanks, Andrew, we love you back!
...moreAt The Daily Beast, Andrew Sullivan linked to last week’s essay by Dylan Nice, “Truth in Nonfiction: A Testimonial.”
Thanks, Andrew, we love you back!
...moreAndrew Sullivan linked to Roxane Gay’s “Where Things Stand,” which revealed that nearly 90% of books reviewed in The New York Times were written by white authors.
Amanda Hess also wrote about the piece, elaborating on the distinct conversations around gender versus racial inequality in the journalism industry.
...moreLove and the pursuit of happiness were the impetus for Andrew Sullivan’s move from the UK to America. He wrote a beautiful essay for Newsweek on the benefits of gay marriage for straight America.
With our “inalienable human rights” being deeply intertwined with what it means to be part of this country, it should follow that Americans should have the right to choose who they love and thereby marry.
...more“Results suggest that facial hair is worn to enhance a man’s marriage prospects by increasing physical attractiveness and perception of social status. Men shave their mustaches, possibly to convey an impression of trustworthiness, when the marriage market is weak and women might fear sexual exploitation and desertion.”
— A new study shows that facial hair “increas(es) physical attractiveness and perception of social status.” (via Andrew Sullivan)
I mean, they used a regression.
...moreIf you haven’t yet heard about Goodluck Jonathan, the new President of Nigeria, you should read this article.
Why does everyone think artists are terrible at governing?
Andrew Sullivan posts the full report from the Office of Professional Responsibility on “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques,” otherwise known as torture.
...more