Joan L. Cannon

It’s hard enough, even with a determination to delve deeper, to detach the whole truth from what information is available to us about corporations, political candidates, about unfriendly nations, about allies, about governments, about our neighbors both near and far. A biographical article, for instance, may not contain a single direct lie. It also may leave out a score of relevant facts that can reverse the impression a reader gets. more »

P.D. James has written not just a sequel to the action of Pride and Prejudice: she has somehow absorbed Jane Austen’s style whole. It is elegant proof that Baroness James deserves every ounce of her extraordinary literary reputation. Nina Balatka by Trollope is a welcome change of pace for most of us who aren’t ashamed to enjoy a romance, or in need of some entertaining preaching, even if it is to the choir more »

It's the time of year that reviewers make selections for holiday gifts. We've narrowed the field to children's books. Adults will order these books at times for themselves, relishing them once more or discovering new treasures. Curl up, like our friend, Mr. Rabbit, with a good children's book. more »

These days, you almost have to venture backwards in time to find pictures of life redeemed in spite of or because of depravity, dishonesty, error. The ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, Hardy, Austen, even Sinclair Lewis or Harper Lee ... make your own list had so much more to say than just calling attention to or bewailing or glorifying what least deserves it in what we like to call civilization. more »