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Literature

Mo Yan's Delicate Balancing Act

China's Nobel-winning writer has been heavily criticized for being too close to the regime. Yet a close reading of his work shows he's far more complicated than his critics think.

Slouching Toward Jerusalem

The United States has been a surprisingly ineffectual Middle East peacemaker. Clinton’s overenthusiasm and Bush’s lack of interest caused us to lose our credibility with both Israel and Palestine.

Ahead of the Curve: Arafat's Poisoned Legacy

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It should be unsurprising.

Ahead of the Curve: Roadmap Revival?

The way forward is to concentrate on solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which, because the many problems of the region are so interlinked, can create, in turn, momentum for dealing with the other regional disputes that feed it.

Grasping the Nettle

As strange as it may seem, now is the best time to push for peace in the Middle East.

The Global Oil Rush

Given rising demand and dwindling supplies, consuming nations should look south and east.

Commentary

A Brave Russian Life Remembered

Isaac Babel's wife, Anna Pirozhkova: one life as a mirror of Russian history.

The Girl Who Wasn't So Special

Perhaps, in a world so crowded with "others," Sweden has become the new exotic.

Blogs

Harvard's Martin Peretz Uproar

The New Republic's Martin Peretz--now on the receiving end of the taunting he relishes dishing out--has already been punished enough.

It's Not Too Late: Great Fiction for the End of Summer Reading

What does a terrorism expert read about his spare time? War, spies, a thriller in the heartland, a tour de force about an international newspaper and a certain late Swedish writer who's all the rage.

Books & Reviews

Mo Yan's Delicate Balancing Act

China's Nobel-winning writer has been heavily criticized for being too close to the regime. Yet a close reading of his work shows he's far more complicated than his critics think.

Revisionism on the West Bank

For many, Israel’s founding is shrouded in mysticism. But there is a battle raging among the historians of the Holy Land. The current stalemate is a story of bad actions on both sides. Beware those who rewrite narratives.

Democracy & Its Discontents

The inevitability of republicanism as the answer to infinite governmental woes seemed clear. Yet the belief that the world abhors an ideological vacuum was mistaken.

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May 24, 2013