The first concert I ever went to was at the San Rafael Civic Center, and the performer was Dolly Parton. This was the Bay Area, 1977, and the notion that Dolly Parton might have a wide, national appeal—let alone a San Francisco Bay Area appeal—was years a... See more
“Honest oysterman” is a phrase that must enter the lexicons of political reporters and consultants. It will refer to an appealing but deeply flawed candidate whose limitations are temporarily obscured by nonstop counterprogramming about his other, less tr... See more
I didn’t go to first grade in the United States; I was overseas on one of my academic father’s endless sabbaticals. I got home in time for the new school year, and I learned that in my absence, my cohort had been charged with a new obligation: saying the ... See more
Call the roller of big cigars! J.D. Vance is ready to throw his hat in the ring. But maybe hold off on the parade. His new book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, has the form of a pre-campaign memoir, but the tone is off. There’s no grand vision f... See more
The title of Jill Biden’s new memoir is View from the East Wing, but a more apt title might be Still Mad. Jill Biden is still mad, but unfortunately, Jill Biden is also still boring. She promises us a good time: “Only now can I stop to make sense of every... See more
