Express
Celebrity’s Two-Way Street: Leon Gast’s Smash His Camera
By Williams ColeFor many in media and intellectual circles, the paparazzi—those camera-wielding misfits who know no boundaries—are seen not only as money-grubbing parasites of culture but as potentially one reason why in-depth reporting has been sidelined by celebrity news.
Coney Island Beer Hustle
By Matthew Vaz“We got cold Coronas! We got cold Heineken! We got whatever you need out here! Ice cold!" is the chant that permeates the air above the sand along Coney Island and Brighton Beach.
Why Not Wounded Knee? A Tale of Two Monuments
By Christian ParentiCuster may have died for your sins but the way the slaughter went down was entirely his fault. Arrogant, vain, and not so bright, Col. George Armstrong Custer started his military career by scoring dead last in his class at West Point, and in his ultimate engagement made almost every tactical mistake possible.
In Conversation
EMPIRE UNBOUND: Philip S. Golub In Conversation with Phong Bui
While visiting New York, Le Monde diplomatique contributing editor Philip S. Golub stopped by the Rail’s headquarters to talk to publisher Phong Bui about his latest book Power, Profit & Prestige: A History of American Imperial Expansionism.
RADICAL REFLECTIONS: Arthur Penn In Conversation with Gregory Zucker and Robert White
One of the preeminent film and television directors of his time, Arthur Penn is best known for groundbreaking films like Mickey One, The Miracle Worker, Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man, and Night Moves. Two summers ago, Gregory Zucker and Robert White sat down with Penn in his Manhattan apartment to discuss his career.
In Conversation
STRAIGHT TALK: Andrew Bujalski In Conversation with Paul Felten
Forget the “mumblecore” tag: the young characters in Andrew Bujalksi’s three feature films (Beeswax, Mutual Appreciation, Funny Ha Ha) speak audibly—if not always articulately—and what they say isn’t as important as the honest confusion their chatter belies.
In Conversation
Abortion Battle’s Hidden Front: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady In Conversation with Williams Cole
Directing team Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing made the Academy Award-nominated Jesus Camp, a film about an evangelical boot camp for children that many lauded for its skillful cinema vérité technique in exploring a controversial topic.
The Bonds of War—Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s Restrepo
By Williams ColeUnfortunately for the human species, war is one of the most dramatic things that life can offer, so there’s no surprise that documentary films about combat hold a much-vaunted place in the non-fiction canon.
A Judt Guide
By Christopher MichelTony Judt has been an outspoken voice in the New York intellectual scene for more than 20 years. He’s an unapologetic and strident critic of Israeli policy, an advocate of left-wing politics, and an authority on French and European history.
Conflicted States
By Allen WilcoxEmbattled on cable television and embroiled in public debate, Christopher Hitchens is perhaps the world’s most conspicuous atheist in a foxhole.
Just a Spoonful of Sugar
By Adam P. FrederickDaniel Okrent’s Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition has enough factual saturation to qualify as legitimate scholarly history, yet too much to bore the casual reader.
The Not-So Roaring Twenties
By David RosenSpeakeasies were social venues of transgression during Prohibition and are once again the in-places for New York hipsters; “hipsters” were those who carried an alcohol-filled hipflask during the Roaring Twenties.
Across the Border
By Sophia KoutsoyannisTourism is Mexico’s third most important source of revenue, preceded by oil and remittances from the United States. Following the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), the tourist industry started to re-develop, as politicians and businessmen coalesced to build Mexico’s image as an idyllic vacation spot and bring much needed economic growth and stabilization.
