Brijit.com News Abstracts
The following are some interesting news stories from www.brijit.com. These abstracts were written by me and cover a wide range of topics and sources. I am posting them with the newest first so you can find the most recent stories easily, or browse through older items you may have missed. The circles indicate the level of recommendation: 1 = read if you time; 2 = make time to read; 3 = don’t miss.
Drive, He Wrote - 
Menand bring us an in-depth look back at On the Road, Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel based on his real-life driving trips across the country in the late 1940s. He look at Kerouac as the original Beat movement writer against the musical backdrop of the Rat Pack. On the Road has all the elements of a great Beat novel, Menand asserts: nostalgia, sadness, sexual prowess, snapshots of America, and raw emotion. Menand is unsure if the book is great literature or a literary phenomenon, but he offers a compassionate look at Kerouac, companion Neal Cassady, and the movement they inspired.
in The New Yorker by Louis Menand, 1 October 2007
This abstract was edited by Brijit. Read more here…
Woman?s Studies - 
Katha Pollitt, political columnist for The Nation, responds to questions about her collection of essays, Learning to Drive — and ends up giving her opinion on Britney Spears, Hillary Clinton and those “porn star” t-shirts. Solomon’s snarky line of questioning seems to challenge Pollitt’s voice as a prominent feminist; at one point Solomon asks the author if the title of her new book, which references Pollitt’s fear of driving, is somehow reinforcing “old stereotypes about female ineptitude and ditziness.” Pollitt doesn’t go far the bait, though, and responds with precision and grace.
in The New York Times Magazine by Deborah Solomon, 23 September 2007
This abstract was edited by Brijit. Read more here…
Modern Masters in Naples - 
The Southern Italian city of Naples once had a reputation as a den of pickpockets and thieves, something it has overcome as it has cultivated its image as a center for cutting edge modern art. New museums dedicated to contemporary art have opened, and smaller galleries feature video displays such as Sergio Prego’s “Flicker.” As Konigsberg explores the growing interest in local artists, while noting that collectors and casual fans will find most dealers clustered around the Piazza dei Martiri, a square he sees as an Italian mix of Madison Avenue and the Lower East Side.
in The New York Times Magazine by Eric Konigsberg, 23 September 2007
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Nashville’s Band of Outsiders -
Patchett argues that Nashville is re-emerging as a musician’s haven in the mold of Austin,Texas and Greenwich Village as songwriters flock to the town’s diverse clubs and cheap living. Mainstream country is the most visible genre, and Patchett taps into the scene’s undercurrent of Americana as she interviews artists such as Old Crow Medicine Show and Gillian Welch. The newcomers actually seem truer to Nashville icons, giving respectful nods to Hank Williams and the Grand Ole Opry House. Patchett also manages to slip a sly indictment of country pop music into this readable essay.
in The New York Times Magazine by Ann Patchett, 23 September 2007
This abstract was edited by Brijit. Read more here…
