National

I saw over 200 films in 2008, and narrowing a list down to the top ten films is tough. In 2002, I bought a blank book and started writing down every film I saw, making it easier to create a top-ten list each year. Going through my book brought back a lot of memories of films that I hardly remember anything about. For instance, how did the French film Roman de Gare end? I don’t recall. Does that mean it’s forgettable? Not exactly, but the ones that jumped out are denoted with a little star—if anyone asked me about one of those movies, I could tell him or her what I enjoyed about it or why it worked. MORE »

by Jay Gabler, Culture Bully

“Do I know my life is weird?” a subdued Britney Spears repeats to herself in front of a prying camera in her documentary For the Record, which aired recently on MTV. “It’s all I’ve ever known.” MORE »

It’s difficult to find poetry as rich in lyrical power as that of Katie Ford—and this time around she has chosen a subject that readily lends itself to her vividly detailed, forcefully compelling voice. Colosseum (Graywolf Press) reflects on ancient ruins, war-ravaged lands, and such natural disasters as Hurricane Katrina and its catastrophic impact. Praised by the extraordinary poet Carolyn Forché and The Feminist Review, it’s a reading experience the artistry and humanity of which stays with you long after you close the book. Ford previously wrote Deposition for Graywolf. Her poetry has appeared in The Paris Review, The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, The Seneca Review, and Pleiades. Publishers Weekly named Colosseum one of the Best Books of 2008. Last month, Ford received a prestigious Lannan Literary Fellowship—an award worth $100,000. MORE »

President-elect Barack Obama made good on his promise to include the opposition in his cabinet. Democratic and Republican insiders confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Republican Rep. Ray LaHood will be nominated as the next Secretary of Transportation. While LaHood is seen as a moderate Republican with a strong bipartisan record, his record on transportation issues is scant. MORE »

Valkyrie, the much-hyped and heavily advertised Tom Cruise action vehicle, opens on Christmas Day. After some reshoots were done last June, and after no fewer than four different release dates were announced—at one point, release was even going to be delayed until February 2009—everyone can now witness this amazing story told with lifeless imprecision. MORE »

Consider this. Everything is not all right. And, everybody is not all right. And, as long as it is not all right for everybody we, the people, cannot rest. MORE »

by Jeff Fecke