This weekend on the Dish, Andrew asked if the conventions had changed the presidential race – and grew more hopeful about Obama's chances – while George Weigel provided a glimpse of how the misguided rightwing mind still views the contest. Deborah Orr fell in love with America, Vladimir Putin spoke of a different sort of romance in Russia, Texas continued its outsized ways, and Tom Junod mused on what waterparks teach us about democracy.
Mostly, though, politics receded as we thought about books and culture. John Jeremiah Sullivan defined the latter for a young Southerner, Martin Amis explained how the world was becoming less innocent, Jonathan Franzen approached birdwatching with awe, and D.T. Max described the difficult work of interviewing those who loved David Foster Wallace. Thomas Heis remembered F. Scott Fitzgerald's downward spiral, Caleb Crain considered the critic's freedom, Kerry Howley noticed the remarkably consistent guidelines at erotic publishing houses, BLS Nelson portrayed Wittgenstein as a lone wolf, Alan Lightman meditated on life's inevitable changes, and Zoë Heller complicated Naomi Wolf's ideas about sex and creativity. It wasn't all highbrow, however – Jessica Roy uncovered the history of Rickroll and Alexis Madrigal highlighted a great Missed Connection at Burning Man. Read Saturday's poem here and Sunday's here.
We explored religion, too. Francis Spufford defended the emotional core of Christian faith, Yuan Zhiming saw the universal message of Jesus as a threat to Chinese communism, Peter Berger investigated the religious significance of beards, Kate Blanchard pondered when religion deserves our respect, David Montgomery noted the surprising contribution of creationism to geology, and Francine Prose plumbed the connection between art and the divine.
In assorted coverage, Drew Nelles recounted the strange history of animals being tried in court, Jamie Feldmar looked back on the power lunch, Linda Besner analyzed why depressives are in touch with reality, Sam Dunne covered the latest in condom wrapper innovation, Ike Anya disproved the myth that depression is just for Westerners, and Adam Frank reflected on how we experience time. FOTDs here and here, MHBs here and here, VFYWs here and here, and the latest window contest here.
– M.S.
(Image ‘Poetic Cosmos of the Breath’ by Tomas Saraceno via Ignant)
The Dish 