Christmas Eve in 2024, I was walking home after a delightful brunch with friends. The iron-grey sky promised either rain or snow flurries, so I hunched forward, cutting through the chill air like the boat’s bow, determined to avoid a downturn in the weather.  Ahead of me, a man st

In 1936, Aldous Huxley observed that if democracy is to work, one must govern with the consent of the people.  (“Modern Despots,” by Aldous Huxley, reprinted for a 1936 article in Harper’s, February 18, 2018, pg. 37.)  Thanks to gerrymandering and the Electoral College, who co

 If writers have one reason to rejoice in Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US Presidential election, it’s that he’s revived the book publishing business.  That’s Alex Sheppard’s opinion. (“It Takes a Pillage,” by Alex Sheppard, New Republic, Aug/