David Cole: Obama’s Long Road to Peace
May 24, 2013 2:46 p.m.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
President Barack Obama’s speech Thursday at the National Defense University may turn out to be the most significant of his tenure. After four years of failing to make much progress toward closing Guantánamo, while increasingly relying on a drone war whose legality has often been questioned, Obama might have chosen to speak more cautiously in his NDU speech. Instead, he went much further, outlining a way out of this “perpetual war,” saying that “our democracy demands it.” Whether he can make good on this promise will very likely define his legacy. If he succeeds in doing so, the Nobel Peace Prize committee will be seen not as naïve, but as remarkably prescient, in its awarding of the Peace Prize to Obama in 2009.
Events • Episode 14 • May 3, 2013
Literary Journalism: A Discussion
On April 3, 2013 The New York Review and the Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers at the New York Public Library presented a panel discussion celebrating the Review's 50th anniversary and discussing the future of literary journalism. This podcast features excerpts from remarks by Ian Buruma, Joseph Lelyveld, Zoë Heller, Alma Guillermoprieto, and Andrew Delbanco.
Readings • Episode 18 • March 15, 2013
Michael Chabon at Town Hall
On February 5, The New York Review celebrated its 50th anniversary at Town Hall in New York City. In this recording from the event, Michael Chabon reads from his piece about writing his first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.