November 2001

"The Affair of the Necklace" By Andrew O'Hehir
In an ill-advised costume drama with Hilary Swank, you take the movie's pleasures where you find them, in the corners of the room or under the rug. (11/30/2001)

"Behind Enemy Lines" By Stephanie Zacharek
Sometimes empty stylish flashiness can be fun, but then why bother using a great actor like Gene Hackman? (11/30/2001)

More ass cheeks
Going cheap and sleazy for sweeps. Plus: Frank's a psycho, and he has the antennas to prove it. (11/30/2001)

Harrison's hometown gently weeps By Jill Lawless
  (11/30/2001)

Paul McCartney mourns his "baby brother" By Robert Barr
  (11/30/2001)

"I Thought My Father Was God"
Paul Auster reads from a new compilation of stories submitted to him by listeners as part of NPR's National Story Project. (11/30/2001)

Letters  
Readers respond to Barbara Olson's hatchet job on the Clintons, a book on synesthesia and an interview with Janet Malcolm. (11/30/2001)

Lynda Barry
Brother (11/30/2001)

Needles, dads and Gatorade
Readers respond to recent articles about fatherhood, new paradigms and knitting after Sept. 11. (11/30/2001)

Back to nature By Arthur Allen
The bioethics czar's new right-hand man is passionately opposed to abortion, public schools, federal taxes and Democrats. (11/30/2001)

Krauthammer's vendetta By Eric Boehlert
Why does the conservative pundit keep insisting a Muslim spiritual leader won't condemn the Sept. 11 attacks, when it isn't true? (11/30/2001)

America the scapegoat By Meera Atkinson
An Australian woman who has made New York her home fires back at the smug U.S.-bashers in Europe and her native land. (11/30/2001)

Remembering the bad Times By Joe Conason
The one-time most important man in journalism makes a startling confession about the media's Clinton coverage. (11/30/2001)

Send in the clones By Norah Vincent
The president's opposition to cloning stem cells is based on scientific superstition and Luddite fears. (11/30/2001)

Victory and the "Benevolent Arab" By Chris Colin
If we want to beat terrorism, it's time to deploy urban legends. (11/30/2001)

Bruce and Billy Bob: Lovebirds? By Amy Reiter
Willis says he and Thornton love each other "in a prison way"; Halle Berry and Hilary Swank talk breasts. Plus: Waxing nostalgic with Cruise, Cruz and Kidman. (11/30/2001)

Balthus' provocative poses By Max Garrone
One of modern art's lions shows us that sexual moments and nudity aren't necessarily erotic. (11/30/2001)

How the music industry blew it By Richard Barbrook
John Alderman's "Sonic Boom" recounts the history of Napster -- and the unstoppable rise of file trading. (11/30/2001)

Will Bush be tarnished by Enron's collapse? By Andrew Leonard
The crash of his top corporate backer should discredit the president's anti-regulation economic policies, but it's unlikely to lead to reform. (11/30/2001)

Tough questions for underwear models By Carina Chocano
Dumb, beautiful women duke it out for charity on "Millionaire." Plus: Being Mick Jagger. (11/29/2001)

"You females got a lot of courage..."
Listen to a phone conversation between Lyndon Johnson and a devastated Jacqueline Kennedy, secretly recorded by the president days after JFK was killed. (11/29/2001)

Classical HMO By Daniel Mendelsohn
When the heroes of Ancient Greece apply for healthcare reimbursement, the results can be tragic. (11/29/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Special celebrity "Cops": Get that Bad Boy bin Laden! (11/29/2001)

Identity crisis By Theresa Pinto Sherer
Decades after becoming an Italian-American Korean, I learn the truth and wonder: Why was I abandoned on the street, a note pinned to my shirt, at the age of 3? (11/29/2001)

Inside Afghanistan's refugee camps By Haleh Anvari
Near the Iranian border, thousands of Afghans seek refuge from the U.S. bombing. (11/29/2001)

Bring back the arbitrary college football polls! By Allen Barra
Sure, the old championship polls were bogus -- but the current system is just as bogus, and it doesn't even give fans anything to argue about. (11/29/2001)

The mother of all terrorism battles By Eric Boehlert
A growing chorus is calling for Saddam Hussein's head. But experts disagree on whether a U.S. assault on Baghdad is worth the high risks. (11/29/2001)

No more hit and run By Robert Scheer
Now that the United States has involved itself in Afghanistan, we have obligations to fulfill after the bombing stops. (11/29/2001)

LBJ: The White (House) album By Douglas Cruickshank
Lyndon Johnson's secret tapes offer extraordinary insight into the sometimes ugly reality of running the USA -- and into a complex man's tortured soul. (11/29/2001)

If Reagan can do it ... By Amy Reiter
Will Smith for president? Natalie Merchant pulls a Schwimmer; Marilyn Manson records aphrodisiac! Plus: Trouble in Pee-wee's playhouse. (11/29/2001)

Harry Potter doesn't get "Blue Velvet" By David Thomson
The boy has no profound psychosexual life, which keeps the film from being dangerous -- and important. (11/29/2001)

Memo to airports: Hire Big Brother
By Peter J. Ognibene (11/29/2001)

The Microsoft resistance By Scott Rosenberg
Redmond may have triumphed legally and financially -- but there are still little ways to strike blows against the empire. (11/29/2001)

What's wrong with the Strokes? By Jennifer Maerz
They're tough and cool, have catchy songs and a great look. Why do people hate them? (11/28/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (11/28/2001)

The journalist and the provocateur By Nan Goldberg
Janet Malcolm talks about her new book on Chekhov, the perils of offending journalists and the long shadow of her libel lawsuit. (11/28/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Life's little victories (11/28/2001)

Now you're a parent, now you aren't By David Tuller
A California procedure used by same-sex partners to become legal parents is declared illegal, a move that could invalidate thousands of adoptions. (11/28/2001)

ACLU offers to support Rev. Falwell
(11/28/2001)

Abortion terrorism intrigue By Frederick Clarkson
The Nuremberg Files' Neal Horsley says fugitive abortion foe Clayton Waagner took him hostage, claimed credit for anthrax hoax -- and promised to kill 42 clinic workers if they don't resign. Skeptics say they're in cahoots. (11/28/2001)

Have abortion foes received anthrax letters too? By Anthony York
Yes, says Army of God's Donald Spitz, but the "liberal media" ignored them. (11/28/2001)

Why I won't be sending Christmas cards this year By Arianna Huffington
Now that postal workers are suddenly on the front line of the war against terror, we should eliminate inessential mail from their substantial load. (11/28/2001)

Schwimming upstream By Amy Reiter
"Friends" star wants to quit, teach public school; Garofalo discovers slenderizing secret; Jack Black admits lameness; Peter Frampton wants to rock against terrorism! (11/28/2001)

A smut peddler and a patriot By Stephen Lemons
Hustler's Larry Flynt asks why a porn mogul and not the New York Times had to sue the government for press access in Afghanistan. (11/28/2001)

Buffy's will-to-power By Stephanie Zacharek
More daring than ever, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is glorious and revelatory in its willingness to face up to the messiness and potential danger of sex. (11/28/2001)

The emergent new order By Andrew Leonard
Feed magazine founder Steven Johnson explains how self-organizing systems are made to order for ants, cities, software and terrorists. (11/28/2001)

"The Voice of the Poet"
Listen to rare recordings of "The Fish," "In the Waiting Room" and "The Moose" by Elizabeth Bishop. (11/27/2001)

"Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens" by Patricia Lynne Duffy By Alison Motluk
For people with synesthesia, letters, words and numbers have their own colors, and you can smell the shape of milk (11/27/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Stealing, lying to his mother -- he's bad! (11/27/2001)

The whole world in my hands By Dayna Macy
I struggle to find peace in the midst of war -- by learning to knit. (11/27/2001)

Mission impossible? By Flore de Préneuf
A flare-up of Middle East violence, including the assassination of a master Hamas terrorist, may render the peacemaking efforts of new U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni futile. (11/27/2001)

Meg Whitman By Loren Fox
The CEO of eBay presides over a company worth more than four times as much as Kmart. Maybe there's something to this e-commerce thing after all. (11/27/2001)

Torn between two lovers By Cary Tennis
How can I move on when I keep thinking about the ex I left? What is the latest sleeping-around etiquette? How can I ask a girl out? (11/27/2001)

Letters, we get letters By Cary Tennis
Readers respond to Cary Tennis' advice to a compulsive liar. (11/27/2001)

Memo to airports: Hire Big Brother Peter J. Ognibene
Rigorous preflight screening of air travelers is the best way to prevent future terrorist attacks. (11/27/2001)

The misanthrope speaks By Kerry Lauerman
Neil LaBute, our leading spokesperson for the beast within, talks about art, letter bombs and critics in the wake of Sept. 11. (11/26/2001)

What were they smoking? By Daniel Forbes
A Texas Clear Channel radio station agreed to host a show on marijuana decriminalization. It's never made it on the air. (11/26/2001)

"Lindsey is a jackass!"
For once, we agree with Brandon. Plus: The urge to merge. (11/26/2001)

Real Life Rock Top 10 By Greil Marcus
(11/26/2001)

"Native Son" Read by James Earl Jones
Hear an excerpt from Richard Wright's masterpiece about Bigger Thomas, a black youth whose tragic life mirrors Wright's own experiences in the Chicago ghetto of the 1930s. (11/26/2001)

When being holy hurts By Suzy Hansen
An historian talks about the modern face of "sacred pain," which religions use it the most and how self-cutters carry on the tradition. (11/26/2001)

Salon recommends
The epic travels of monarch butterflies and more (11/26/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Hey kids! Get your "War on Terror" trading cards! (11/26/2001)

Put Salon Premium on your gift list
(11/26/2001)

Dear Concerned Mother By Jill Wolfson
My writing students in juvenile hall -- addicts, thieves, gangbangers -- have great parenting advice. All you have to do is ask. (11/26/2001)

All crazy on the Kunduz front By Phillip Robertson
Greetings from the 10th century, where the Northern Alliance fighters who protect me by day try to kill me for my phone at night. (11/27/2001)

Kunduz finally falls By Phillip Robertson
But peace may be elusive, as Northern Alliance commanders begin battling one another as soon as the Taliban is defeated. (11/26/2001)

"I just want to help my people" By Mark Kukis
The liberated Jalalabad is run by three different warlords who have made peace their top priority -- for now. (11/26/2001)

Eve Ensler: "Afghanistan is everywhere" By Janelle Brown
The novelist, playwright and activist behind "The Vagina Monologues" talks about gender apartheid, the dangerous shedding of burqas and the seeds of violence we've begun to sow. (11/26/2001)

Terrorizing the environmental movement By Paul Tolme
Rep. Scott McInnis of the GOP wants leading green groups to denounce eco-terror, though they're already on record against it. Is he using Sept. 11 to crack down on groups he disagrees with? (11/26/2001)

Who was Mona seducing? By Jonathon Keats
What does this Renaissance temptress, seemingly impervious to changing taste, tell us about the enduring nature of our own desire? (11/26/2001)

Xbox squared
By Wagner James Au (11/26/2001)

The United States of Oil
By Damien Cave (11/26/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
The view from the New New Yorker. (11/22/2001)

Lennox Lewis and the decline and fall of boxing By Allen Barra
The heavyweight champ is no better than respectable, but in boxing's inflated record books, he'll look like Muhammad Ali. (11/22/2001)

Democracy first? By Damien Cave
We might rue the day we force our authoritarian allies to democratize, Robert Kaplan argues, once we see who replaces them. (11/22/2001)

Are right-wing hate groups behind anthrax terror? By Anthony York
Nobody knows, because the Justice Department isn't investigating violent militants on the right the way it's monitoring Muslims, critics say. (11/22/2001)

The Taliban's deadly "refugees" By Ben Barber
Taliban guerrillas are moving into refugee camps inside Afghanistan -- safe havens where they can regroup, skim food provided by aid agencies, and recruit new troops. (11/22/2001)

"The North Vietnamese never bombed American cities" By David Talbot
Progressive congressman Barney Frank talks about why he supports the war, opposes Bush's attack on civil liberties and thinks Clinton's military legacy is just fine. (11/22/2001)

Memo to George By Bruce Kluger and David Slavin
We have many things to be thankful for: No Taliban, no Rudy and a whole lot less due process. (11/22/2001)

"In the Bedroom" By Andrew O'Hehir
Small-town life erupts in this deceptively calm, emotionally shocking thriller from director Todd Field. (11/21/2001)

"Black Knight" By Stephanie Zacharek
Martin Lawrence is back in a painfully obvious, groaningly uplifting medieval comedy. (11/21/2001)

"Spy Game" By Charles Taylor
This brisk thriller overcomes its slick style with exciting espionage -- even if Brad Pitt and Robert Redford are all wrong. (11/21/2001)

"Sidewalks of New York" By Andrew O'Hehir
Why is the Big Apple such a great town? Because sensitive, frat-boy-handsome movie directors like Ed Burns live there. (11/21/2001)

Since you asked: The rant By Cary Tennis
Give birth to a baby you don't want? Cut your own arm off? What the heck, time's a wastin'! (11/21/2001)

The holy warrior By Laura Miller
The most entertaining of current books on Osama bin Laden paints him as a devout, charismatic CEO of worldwide terror. (11/21/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (11/21/2001)

The K Chronicles by Keith Knight
What's the opposite of a stand-up comedian? A stood-up cartoonist! (11/21/2001)

Not exactly fatherless By Kevin J. Sweeney
Like a lot of men who were killed Sept. 11, my dad died young and left children. At 7, I made a secret plan to cope with his loss, and it worked. (11/21/2001)

Lynda Barry
The subject of Dad (11/21/2001)

A born-again isolationist By Michael J. Smith
By trying to rule the world, we open ourselves to the world's madness. America should let go of its empire and set its own house in order. (11/21/2001)

A new role for Afghan women By Arianna Huffington
The United States must insist that women be a part of the new government in Afghanistan. (11/21/2001)

Throwing it all away By Robert Scheer
National security is not justification for the suppression of human rights. (11/21/2001)

The Afghan handshake By Dalton Conley
Nearly a decade ago in Peshawar, a holy warrior tried to warn me where radical Islam was heading -- then gave me his watch. (11/21/2001)

Studs Terkel: "We are not the Fortress America" By Christopher Kemp
The indefatigable author talks about his new book on death, the war against terror, President Bush, FDR and Thomas Paine. (11/21/2001)

Cuckoos and gun lovers
Readers respond to articles on Robert Stone, Ken Kesey, Tom Stoppard and nonhunters who hunt. (11/21/2001)

Why Daschle and Leahy? By Anthony York
It's the question no one in Washington or the media wants to publicly examine: Why were two high-profile Democrats targeted by the anthrax mail terrorist? (11/21/2001)

A Kennedy the Bush administration can love By Jake Tapper
President Bush and John Ashcroft honor Bobby Kennedy as a tough-on-crime attorney general who fought "evil," but RFK's daughter cries foul. (11/21/2001)

Off track By Christopher Ott
Air disasters spotlight a need for better train service -- but American transportation policy has neglected railroads for decades. (11/21/2001)

The stuff movies are made of By Jeff Stark
Director Richard Linklater talks about dreams, Philip K. Dick and his magical, revolutionary "Waking Life," a thinking person's cartoon about the meaning of life. (11/20/2001)

Is Clear Channel playing a "shell game"? By Eric Boehlert
Critics of the radio-industry giant charge that it is skirting federal ownership rules with puppet competitors. (11/20/2001)

"Moby Dick"
Listen to an excerpt from a 1975 production of Herman Melville's classic, with Charlton Heston as Ahab and Keir Dullea as Ishmael. (11/20/2001)

"Trials of the Monkey" by Matthew Chapman By Damien Cave
Charles Darwin's boozy, girl-crazy great-great-grandson goes to Tennessee to sneer at the Bible-quoting locals -- and stays to learn a lesson in faith. (11/20/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Travel terror: Bad movie, bad food, early arrival -- what a nightmare! (11/20/2001)

The way we thought we were By Brendan Cooney
Two months ago, ground zero was the beginning of a new world. Now a volunteer looks back and finds we've returned to the old one. (11/20/2001)

New York's ground zero of grief By Terry Golway
Staten Island lost 200 residents Sept. 11. Now the same community values that made its firefighters heroes help the community heal from its loss. (11/20/2001)

"We're in the way" By Noah Sudarsky
New York firefighters win a battle to search the World Trade Center site for their colleagues' remains, but the victory is largely symbolic. (11/20/2001)

Waiting to die By Phillip Robertson
The Northern Alliance confirms that foreign Taliban forces massacred Afghans who tried to surrender. So there's little hope for peace talks. (11/20/2001)

Wilma Mankiller By Andrew Nelson
The first female chief of the Cherokee Nation, she took tragedy and illness and made strength. And don't even ask where she got her name. (11/20/2001)

Cruise ready to commit "random acts of kindness" By Amy Reiter
OK, how about no more lame movies? Willie Nelson: One toke over the Oval Office? Plus: Kate Winslet committing random act of relationshipness! (11/20/2001)

"Wrapping themselves in the flag with their hands in the cookie jar" By Anthony York
Emboldened Democrats and progressives are still wary of attacking Bush, but they accuse his party of trying to use wartime popularity to ram through regressive measures. (11/20/2001)

Hair do's and don'ts By Cary Tennis
Is there a way to gently tell my boyfriend his combover is ridiculous? Plus: The ex-lover I'm still smitten with keeps trying to set me up with other girls! (11/20/2001)

Oily waters By Damien Cave
Big oil isn't as powerful as it used to be, but when everyone is buying SUVs and gas prices are dropping, there's still little hope for alternative energy. Second of two parts. (11/20/2001)

"Novocaine" By Stephanie Zacharek
Steve Martin and Helena Bonham Carter star in a toothless thriller about a dentist who takes on the wrong patient. (11/19/2001)

An interview with Kelly Link Interview by Laura Miller
Laura Miller speaks with the author of "Stranger Things Happen" about the making of Link's new book and her writing process. (11/19/2001)

Salon recommends
A sneak peek at the forthcoming "Lord of the Rings" film, a fat gambler in a Jaguar and more (11/19/2001)

The unsavory victim By Kerry Lauerman
Barbara Olson's bestselling hatchet job on Bill and Hillary Clinton is a shameful coda to a life that ended in bravery. (11/19/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Our heartwarming holiday special: Have another helping of post-election spin! (11/19/2001)

This time the germs are real By Amy Traverso
For sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a real-live anthrax scare can mean years of misery. (11/19/2001)

Robert Stone: "History has come for us" By Andrew Leonard
The novelist whose book "Damascus Gate" dealt with the clash of faiths in the Middle East discusses terrorism, apocalyptic religion, military culture and the Islam bomb. (11/19/2001)

Cher and Cher alone By Amy Reiter
Turns out see-through clothes won't get you a man; Jason Priestly tempts 90210 reunion fate. Plus: Downey Jr. furthers his endeavor; and Howard Stern goes sitcom. (11/19/2001)

The United States of oil By Damien Cave
No administration has ever been more in bed with the energy industry -- but does that mean Big Oil is calling Bush's shots? First of two parts. (11/19/2001)

"The Joy of Junk Mail"
By Mark Griffith (11/19/2001)

Another Taliban stronghold in chaos By Phillip Robertson
Refugees flee to Northern Alliance territory as in-fighting begins between Taliban soldiers in Kunduz. (11/18/2001)

"Guess What, the Bombing Worked Like a Charm"
By Christopher Hitchens (11/17/2001)

A louder voice for Uncle Sam? By Eric Boehlert
Afraid that the U.S. is losing the public opinion war, officials are considering launching a $500 million broadcasting initiative, including an Arabic-language TV channel. (11/17/2001)

A clinic reopens in Taloqan By Phillip Robertson
Retreating Taliban forces stole the best supplies, but the staff -- especially newly liberated female doctors and nurses -- is thrilled to be back in business. (11/17/2001)

Calling Ken Kesey By Brook Wilensky-Lanford
A grandchild of the '60s recalls a bedtime story about the bull-goose Prankster that echoes through her family to this day. (11/17/2001)

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"" By Andrew O'Hehir
The long-awaited movie is faithful to J.K. Rowling's book, but the fantasy isn't very fantastic and the evil just isn't dark enough. (11/16/2001)

2001: A great year for movies By Andrew O'Hehir
While the studios distracted us with big-budget behemoths, a renaissance in art film unfolded before our eyes. (11/16/2001)

Attention muggles! Read by Jim Dale
Couldn't score a ticket to "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" in the record-breaking advance ticket sale? Don't despair -- get your magic fix with an excerpt from the audiobook. (11/16/2001)

"We Need to Get Lucky" and "Dancing in the Dark"  
Readers respond to Michael Ignatieff on ground troops in Afghanistan and Peter Kurth on writing his biography of Isadora Duncan. (11/16/2001)

"Beneath the Veil" redux By Janelle Brown
Documentary filmmaker Saira Shah returns to Afghanistan to find hopeful soldiers and starving children. Her film of the journey is called "Unholy War." (11/16/2001)

Out of the ashes By Mark Schapiro
The terror attacks have put globalization's critics on the defensive -- but have also given new momentum to their struggle. (11/16/2001)

Crying wolf, or doing their job? By Laura Rozen
Humanitarian aid groups warned that the bombing would create an aid catastrophe -- but they've brought in far more relief since the war than before it began (11/16/2001)

The New York Times' quagmire By Norah Vincent
Now that the Taliban have been routed, what will the media fret about? (11/16/2001)

Time to torture? By Flore de Préneuf
Americans are debating whether torture should be used against terrorists. But the case of Israel shows that brutality in the name of morality doesn't pay. (11/16/2001)

Down on the peacock farm By Rob Elder
A previously unpublished 1999 interview with Ken Kesey reveals the "big-time generosity folded into gigantic nerve" that fueled the novelist's legend. (11/16/2001)

Appreciation: Ken Kesey By Sean Elder
Captain Flag of the good ship Furthur didn't just create great literature, he was great literature -- and a quintessentially American character. (11/16/2001)

What happened to flaunting it? By Amy Reiter
J.Lo denies diva allegations, spars with Smoking Gun; Courtney Love, Russell Crowe got "weird" together; Tom and Nicole fail to deliver season's biggest drama; and more! (11/16/2001)

Bush's jihad against civil rights By Bruce Shapiro
Administration officials are using the threat of terrorism as an excuse to do what they've wanted to do all along -- keep the public out of their business. (11/16/2001)

Fly the federal skies By Jake Tapper
Fearing public wrath and shaken by the crash of Flight 587, the House GOP folds and allows airport security workers to be federalized. (11/16/2001)

Naked men By Glen Helfand
Photographer Rankin shoots guys acting out their undressed fantasies. (11/16/2001)

Turbulence can kill By P. Smith
Investigators are suggesting that Flight 587 may have become fatally entwined in the jet wake of another plane. Stranger things have happened. (11/16/2001)

The war of the wizards By Chris Petrikin
"Lord of the Rings" vs. "Harry Potter"! The inside story of how a pair of AOL Time Warner movie studios are facing off with the two biggest movie releases of the new millennium. (11/15/2001)

The return of "Absolutely Fabulous" By Carina Chocano
Edina and Patsy, living casualties of the '60s, face life in a post-millennium, "Sex and the City" world. (11/15/2001)

Talk about your arrows of outrageous fortune!
Who knew Ethan was a regular Robin Hood? Plus: The chickens cower, and Lindsey squirms. (11/16/2001)

The week in dirt By Amy Reiter
Martha Stewart to beat terrorists with decentralized Christmas party. Plus: Elizabeth Hurley, Michael Jackson, Ben Stiller and more. (11/15/2001)

Tolkien and terror By Jim Paul
A tale of good and evil battling under the dark cloud of fear, Tolkien's masterpiece resonates with a wisdom that our recent horror allows us to understand. (11/15/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Osama declares victory as Hollywood celebrities cancel appearances! (11/15/2001)

If I tell her she isn't invited, she'll come anyway By Kyanna Sutton
As my wedding day approaches, I am a hostage to my mother's mental illness. I am petrified of what she may do on the day. (11/15/2001)

Passing beats running By Allen Barra
Forget the old farts who exalt four yards and a cloud of dust: In the NFL, the air rules. (11/15/2001)

Spoils of war By Joe Conason
With Americans distracted by war, Republicans are trying to loot the public purse with a shameless "stimulus" plan. (11/15/2001)

Will Russia protect Iraq from the U.S.? By Eric Boehlert
As Bush and Putin cozy up at the Crawford ranch, Russia is still blocking American moves against Saddam Hussein, because of billions to be made doing business with him. (11/15/2001)

A very, very close friend By Amy Reiter
Zellweger: Nothing between me and "wonderful," "kind," "good-looking" Clooney; Gwyneth once loved an ugly; Beyoncé denies hanky-spanky with Eminem. (11/15/2001)

Shaving Mrs. Coen By David Thomson
In "The Man Who Wasn't There" it's mostly the great Frances McDormand who isn't there. (11/15/2001)

Xbox squared Wagner James Au
Microsoft's game-box revolution takes the path of mediocrity, while Sony's Playstation seizes the creative high ground. (11/15/2001)

"Heist" By Charles Taylor
David Mamet sucks all the joy out of a venerable genre in his latest staccato, cliché-ridden crime story. (11/14/2001)

A junkie's tale By Cary Tennis
A meditation on the sinister possibilities where heroin addiction, biochemistry and Islamism meet. (11/14/2001)

"Look at Me" by Jennifer Egan By Amy Reiter
In this novel about the modern tyranny of image over substance, a fashion model's face is destroyed, then remade. (11/14/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (11/14/2001)

Face value By Laura Miller
Jennifer Egan, author of "Look at Me," talks about her book's prescient depiction of a terrorist sleeper, the perversities of the fashion world and why male novelists get more credit for writing about big ideas. (11/14/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Once upon a time in the playground. (11/14/2001)

In the first plane to land after Flight 587 By P. Smith
We came down in view of two crash sites and surrounded by thousands of ghosts. (11/14/2001)

Why Osama bin Laden is an enemy of Islam By M.A. Muqtedar Khan
How can Muslims proclaim the al-Qaida leader's innocence while simultaneously lionizing him for his blows against the U.S.? (11/14/2001)

Throw the SUVs overboard! By Jennifer Foote Sweeney
President Bush has been far too timid about asking Americans for wartime sacrifices. He should start by calling on patriots to wean themselves from foreign oil. (11/14/2001)

After the fall By Damien Cave, Max Garrone and Daryl Lindsey
The Taliban is on the run. What happens now? Who should govern Afghanistan? And how hard will it be to win the war of the caves? (11/14/2001)

Guess what, the bombing worked like a charm By Christopher Hitchens
The antiwar hand-wringers kept warning us of its perils. But as the Taliban despots flee Afghan cities, and their citizens cheer, the air war's stunning efficacy is clear for all to see (11/14/2001)

Hunting not to kill By Christopher Ketcham
Guns are an extension of the fist, and their ultimate purpose is the increase of power. That's why they're so much fun. (11/14/2001)

Take a flying f%$#@&! By Amy Reiter
Barrymore, Spacek and Tomei debate leadership, celebrity and air travel; Jacko a film director -- "Face Off II"? Plus: Halle Berry barely clothed! (11/14/2001)

What if they hijacked an election, and no one cared? By Jake Tapper
Despite the media's spin, the latest recount shows the wrong man was awarded Florida's presidential vote. But if even Al Gore can't bother to complain, why should anyone else? (11/14/2001)

A lady's man By David Bowman
An interview with Carl Djerassi, the father of modern contraception (11/14/2001)

The joy of junk mail By Mark Griffith
Or, how I stopped worrying and learned to love spam. (11/14/2001)

The face By Joey Sweeney
If you think the Postal Service had a hard time with the Elvis stamp, just wait until they get around to Michael Jackson. (11/13/2001)

"The Alchemist" By Paulo Coelho
Jeremy Irons reads an excerpt from Paulo Coelho's novel about a shepherd boy who travels from his homeland, Spain, to Egypt in search of a mysterious treasure buried in the Pyramids. (11/13/2001)

"We need to get lucky" By Suzy Hansen
Michael Ignatieff, author of "Virtual War," talks about the politics of bombing Afghanistan, the viability of U.S. military strategy and why morality has nothing to do with either. (11/13/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
The pussycat and the naked ladies. (11/13/2001)

Salon Premium -- a special offer
(11/13/2001)

Fear of family flying By Andrew Leonard
With terrorist threats to the left and air disasters to the right, why would anyone pack up two kids to fly to New York for Thanksgiving? (11/13/2001)

Maintaining in the Midwest By King Kaufman
The heartland responds to anthrax and terrorist threats with a mixture of patriotism and fatalism. (11/13/2001)

Just another day at ground zero By Seth Mnookin
At the bar closest to the Sept. 11 wreckage, New Yorkers ignore the news on TV as disaster becomes part of the city's new landscape. (11/13/2001)

The fall of Taloqan By Phillip Robertson
As townspeople cheer the departure of the despised Taliban, Northern Alliance troops prepare to push on to Kunduz. (11/13/2001)

Why I gave up my Lincoln Navigator By Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington joins the war effort -- by buying a new car, with better gas mileage. (11/13/2001)

Tom Stoppard By Amy Reiter
For the last four decades, the playwright has filled the theater world with clever wordplay, big ideas and palpable passion. (11/13/2001)

Rambo vs. bin Laden? By Amy Reiter
Stallone considers hauling out the thong again; Julia Roberts: Pot makes me sleepy! Plus: J.Lo goes princess again; and who's got the video of Vanilla Ice and Madonna getting freaky? (11/13/2001)

Online dating By Cary Tennis
I spend all my time trying to charm these guys and then find out I don't even like them! Plus: How do I ask for a kiss? (11/13/2001)

"It couldn't have come at a worse time" By Damien Cave
Former Transportation Secretary Sam Skinner explains how the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 will affect the air travel industry. (11/13/2001)

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful By Christina Valhouli
Two real-life male models ponder the deeper significance of "Zoolander." (11/12/2001)

Real Life Rock Top 10 By Greil Marcus
(11/12/2001)

"Pictures of Friuli"
Listen to a poem by Pier Paolo Pasolini, in a new translation by Peter Borten and in the original Italian, read by Pietro Greppi. (11/12/2001)

Dancing in the dark By Peter Kurth
I was racing against death when I signed up to write Isadora Duncan's biography -- and winning wouldn't even be my strangest adventure along the way. (11/12/2001)

Salon recommends
The musings of an obsessive-compulsive office worker, the memoirs of a literary master and more. (11/12/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
We're all in this together -- except when we're not! (11/12/2001)

From crackpots to gurus By Janelle Brown
Survivalists are getting some respect, and lots of new friends, as worst-case scenarios get serious attention. (11/12/2001)

The scramble for the smallpox vaccine By Arthur Allen
Barely 25 years after a public health crusade eradicated the disease, scientists are gearing up to defeat it again. But should everyone get vaccinated? (11/12/2001)

What the CDC hasn't told you about anthrax By Joshua Micah Marshall
The risk for the deadly inhalation variety is far greater among older people. Why did it take the CDC so long to let us know? (11/12/2001)

An old-fashioned tragedy By Phaedra Hise
A nation shellshocked by terrorism braces for the worst -- but in all probability, mechanical failure caused Monday's Flight 587 catastrophe in New York. (11/12/2001)

"Isadora: A Sensational Life" By Peter Kurth
An excerpt from the new biography of dancer Isadora Duncan. (11/12/2001)

Peter Kurth By Amy Standen
The author of the new biography of Isadora Duncan discusses the legendary dancer whose short life was a whirlwind of art, stormy love affairs and tragedy. (11/12/2001)

Jacko to world: Beat it By Amy Reiter
King of Pop plans to sequester kids; Hurley gets pregnancy visit from Hugh! Plus: Erik Estrada goes loco for Anne Robinson. (11/12/2001)

Recount redux By Anthony York
After Monday's split decision in the Florida recount, the war for Election 2000 intensifies online. (11/12/2001)

How to win the war: Osama.com! By John Newton
He's a venture capitalist of terror -- let's seduce him with a PowerPoint pitch, then squander all his moolah on Super Bowl ads! (11/12/2001)

Are anthrax letters OK for abortion-rights groups? By Anthony York
Activists concerned about a second wave of threats fear the attorney general's antiabortion beliefs are the reason he won't meet with them. (11/10/2001)

My crush on Musharraf By Asra Q. Nomani
With his dogs, drinking, frameless glasses and Armani suits, he's reviled by extremists. (11/10/2001)

Gods and monsters By Jake Tapper
The good people of Mazar-e-Sharif have been liberated! By whom? Your garden-variety enemy turned ally turned enemy turned ally. (11/10/2001)

"A struggle for the soul of the 21st century"  
A speech given by former President Bill Clinton at Georgetown University on Nov. 7. (11/10/2001)

"Better Than Sex" By Charles Taylor
Two lovers make something more out of a one-night stand in this sexy Australian comedy. (11/09/2001)

"Shallow Hal" By Stephanie Zacharek
The very naughty brothers Farrelly take on the weighty subject of inner beauty and come up with their sweetest -- and best -- movie yet. (11/09/2001)

"We are good" By Jack Boulware
A post-Sept. 11 rant by the author of "San Francisco Bizarro" and "Sex American Style." (11/09/2001)

"Kiss Harry Potter Goodbye"
By Tracy Mayor (11/09/2001)

There is a god By Kate Convissor
It was the worst that has happened to us, but a lot of blood later, I'm alive and have seen grace. (11/09/2001)

So-called weddings and dying young
Readers respond to recent stories on difficult weddings, a sibling's death and the tarnished image of glossy magazines. (11/09/2001)

No facts, please -- we're British By Trevor Butterworth
Americans are flocking to feisty British papers for news about the war. But there's a reason the U.S. media fails to follow up on the Brits' "scoops" -- they're frequently not true. (11/09/2001)

"Islamism is fascism" By Eric Boehlert
Daniel Pipes says leading American Muslim groups want Islamic law to rule the U.S. -- even if they won't admit it -- and must be carefully watched. (11/09/2001)

America's hypocritical p.c. mullahs By Eric Boehlert
Before Sept. 11, right-wingers denounced politically correct "censorship." Now they're applauding the muzzling of left-wing war critics. (11/09/2001)

Does bin Laden have Marfan syndrome? By Mark Francis Cohen
Is Osama suffering from a rare disease that can cause sudden death? (11/09/2001)

Recipe for disaster By Amy Reiter
Martha Stewart faces mutiny after demanding that employees host company dinners; Hurley admits she's pregnant! Plus: Stiller makes like Hurley, and more! (11/09/2001)

Love letters from the front By Cole Kazdin
A collection of letters from the Civil War to Bosnia shows how the words of soldiers preserve history's extraordinary moments. (11/09/2001)

Enron, we hardly knew ye By Andrew Leonard
Ironically, only one thing could have saved the now-imploding corporate poster child for deregulation: Tougher regulations requiring more financial "transparency." (11/09/2001)

Just when you thought it was safe to be an arrogant twentysomething!
The kids get screwed as Mark Burnett mixes things up. Plus: A very scary robin! (11/09/2001)

The week in dirt Read by Amy Reiter
Will Smith ("Human Viagra") stings like a bee. Plus: Jacko admits he's really sicko, N' Sync 'n Grease 3, Britney Spears on masturbation, Claudia Schiffer's stalkers and more. (11/08/2001)

"Stranger Things Happen" by Kelly Link By Laura Miller
In these dazzling, uncanny stories, myth becomes part of everyday life and Nancy Drew visits the underworld in search of her long-lost mother. (11/08/2001)

Romance and other myths By Laura Miller
Kelly Link, author of "Stranger Things Happen," talks about the inspiration for her unsettling tales. (11/08/2001)

"Travels With the Snow Queen" By Kelly Link
An excerpt from one of the stories in "Stranger Things Happen." (11/08/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
A daring American boy journeys to a strange land to hunt the world's scariest evildoer! (11/08/2001)

Hand-held terror By Paul J. Caffera
Shoulder-launched missiles are cheap, portable and deadly against lumbering commercial jets -- and terrorists in the U.S. may already have them. (11/08/2001)

The owners' big bluff By Allen Barra
Selig & co.'s threat to get rid of two baseball teams is a heavy-handed ploy to wring concessions from the players union. (11/08/2001)

The Turkey card By Anthony York
The secular, majority-Muslim nation, whose special forces are now backing the U.S. in Afghanistan, is a crucial coalition partner, says author Stephen Kinzer. (11/08/2001)

"My husband is not a terrorist" By Jake Tapper
The government links U.S. businesses to Osama bin Laden and freezes their assets, leaving one woman to defend her husband -- and herself. (11/08/2001)

Memo to Mark, Freddy, Al and Ed: Drop dead By Richard Bozza
Maybe then the Democrats will have a chance to win. (11/08/2001)

Why do you think they called them "best boys"? By Douglas Cruickshank
A new book names names and tells tales as it charts the lasting influence of gays and lesbians on the movie business. (11/08/2001)

Billy Bob faces reality By Amy Reiter
Mr. Jolie acknowledges audience's limits; the Hulk ain't Lou? Incredible! Plus: Rest easy, Jacko's anthrax-free! (11/08/2001)

Come in, Kiefer By David Thomson
The new series "24" brings back the kind of sexuality Bogart and Mitchum had, back when. (11/08/2001)

"High Score"
By Sandy Brundage (11/08/2001)

All you have to do is dream By Jean Tang
Freudian analyst Dr. Frederick Lane cracks open "Mulholland Drive" and gets inside David Lynch's weird, weird head. (11/07/2001)

The hills are alive with the sound of ... vampire slaying! By Stephanie Zacharek
An extraordinary episode of "Buffy" takes the American movie musical to places it's never been before. (11/07/2001)

Hugh Hefner, the Emmys and the breathless "24" By Carina Chocano
At Hef's roast, Comedy Central bleeps every other word; Ellen DeGeneres does her best on the pointless Emmys; and "24" rocks hard. (11/07/2001)

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" Read by Jim Dale
In Book 2 of J.K. Rowling's bestselling series, someone -- or something -- turns Hogwarts students to stone, and the main suspects are Draco Malfoy, Hagrid and Harry Potter himself. (11/07/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com. (11/07/2001)

Paging Winston Churchill. By Matthew Price
His emulators include Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush, and his detractors say he destroyed the British Empire, but as a wartime leader he stands alone. (11/07/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Massage client bingo: Which one are you? (11/07/2001)

My so-called wedding By Rebecca Taylor
In the second row, my father averts his eyes, afraid he will not feel pride, but desire. (11/07/2001)

The reluctant ally By Ben Barber
Caught between the U.S. and domestic Islamic militants, Saudi Arabia won't silence its critics with belated promises to crack down on bin Laden's cash flow. (11/07/2001)

A failure to communicate By Eric Boehlert
The U.S. finally found a senior diplomat who could answer bin Laden in Arabic. But did he bomb on Al-Jazeera? (11/07/2001)

Is there a cure for drug company greed? By Arianna Huffington
Drug companies are cashing in on Americans' bioterrorism fears. (11/07/2001)

Bin Laden so long it looks like up to me By Merle Kessler
Exclusive! For men only! A diabolical coded message from the world's archvillain revealed for the first time anywhere! (11/07/2001)

Jacko being tested for anthrax By Amy Reiter
Michael Jackson: "I'm very sick"; Claudia Schiffer, stalker magnet. Plus: Brad Pitt's Mariah Carey state of mind! (11/07/2001)

Brothers in arms By Jake Tapper
Vietnam veterans John McCain and John Kerry don't agree about that war, but they've found common cause over Afghanistan -- to a point. (11/07/2001)

Sex and the suicide bomber By As`ad AbuKhalil
The tales have tantalized the Western press, but it wasn't visions of black-eyed virgins in paradise that motivated the Sept. 11 hijackers. (11/07/2001)

Internet liberation theology By Marc Rotenberg
In "The Future of Ideas" Lawrence Lessig explains why ham-handed efforts to increase copyright protection are a threat to freedom and prosperity. (11/07/2001)

"It's a kid's movie, fer chrissakes!"
Readers weigh in on our review of "Monsters, Inc." and our story on the Jar-Jar Binks-less "Phantom Menace." (11/06/2001)

"The Lion in Winter"
Listen to Sebastian Junger read his profile of Afghan rebel Ahmed Shah Massoud, from in his new book, "Fire." (11/06/2001)

Kiss Harry Potter goodbye By Tracy Mayor
The handful of days left before the movie comes out are our last chance to remember J.K. Rowling's young wizard as we imagined him. (11/06/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
A day in Talibanland. (11/06/2001)

Lynda Barry
November (11/06/2001)

Anthrax? Big deal By Asra Q. Nomani
While a quaking American media blathers obsessively about being on the front lines of bioterrorism, a Pakistani newsroom goes calmly about its business after its own spore scare. (11/06/2001)

It's time for U.S. to broker Mideast peace, says Palestinian leader By Gary Kamiya
Hanan Mikhail-Ashrawi tells Osama bin Laden he does "not have the right to use" the Palestinian plight "for your ends." (11/06/2001)

David Lynch By Brian Libby
The pleasant, bizarre filmmaker who gave us the Lynchian world insists that now, more than ever, we must face the darkness. (11/06/2001)

Unscripted, uncharitable
Readers respond to King Kaufman's assessment of the World Series and to a critique of Michael Jordan. (11/06/2001)

TV addict, prankster By Amy Reiter
Pitt won't miss "Friends," will Saran Wrap toilets; "Harry Potter" star's face vibrates. Plus: 'N Sync lowers standards, and Britney's the master of her domain! (11/06/2001)

Long-distance love By Cary Tennis
My boyfriend smells good and I can't imagine kissing anyone else, but he lives in New Zealand! Our advice man consults on this and other conundrums. (11/06/2001)

High score By Sandy Brundage
Speed, acid, pot: As computer gaming enters the mainstream, its drug subculture is also coming of age. (11/06/2001)

"The Phantom Edit" By Daniel Kraus
How one "Star Wars" fan nearly fixed the "Episode 1" disaster, and why George Lucas is indirectly stoking another kind of digital revolution. (11/05/2001)

Salon's Sept. 11 book list By Salon staff
Our updated selection of recommended reading for those hungry to learn more about the crisis facing the U.S. (11/05/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
This week: Patriotic optimism! (11/05/2001)

Tarnished glossies need to shine again By Janelle Brown
In the wake of Sept. 11, will the fashion magazines stop catering to socialite snobs in stilettos? (11/05/2001)

Unholy war By Eric Boehlert
Bush says he won't stop bombing during Ramadan. But the tactic could blow up in our faces. (11/05/2001)

Don't be like Mike By Tom Schaller
Jordan may be the greatest basketball player of all time, but as a role model, he's an airball. (11/05/2001)

Rehab redux By Amy Reiter
"Friend" says Melanie Griffith is back at hospital; Paltrow mad about heiny photo; Rick Rockwell addresses anthrax; Will Smith: King of the bedroom! (11/05/2001)

Activist, terrorist -- or opportunist? By Anthony York
Was a Green Party activist barred from flying because she was marked as a potential terrorist -- or simply because she was uncooperative? (11/05/2001)

Surprise ending By King Kaufman
If life followed a script, the Yankees would have won the World Series. But it doesn't, and they didn't. (11/05/2001)

America's identity crisis By Michael T. Klare
Waging war projects American might in Central Asia -- but only makes it harder to catch bin Laden. That's why we should stop the bombing and intensify the international police hunt. (11/03/2001)

How'd Bush do it? By Jake Tapper
The GOP's airport safety bill passed the House, but how? Conspiracy theories abound -- including one swiped from this week's "West Wing." (11/03/2001)

"Monsters, Inc." By Charles Taylor
The new animated feature from Pixar has too much Disney pap and not enough Gothic. (11/02/2001)

"Domestic Disturbance" By Stephanie Zacharek
John Travolta and Vince Vaughn sleepwalk through a big, dumb thriller. (11/02/2001)

"Amélie" By Charles Taylor
The candy-colored French hit from one of the directors of "The City of Lost Children" never lets you forget how charming it is. (11/02/2001)

The hyenas sleep tonight -- and tomorrow morning, too!
Episode 4: The revolution will not be disturbed. Plus: Big Tom treed! (11/02/2001)

The Paris Review
Three young writers from issue No. 159 read from their work. (11/02/2001)

"Book Lovers' Quarrel"
By Laura Miller (11/02/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (11/02/2001)

On dying young By Margaret Morganroth Gullette
In emergencies, after disasters, youth is a powerful fantasy. (11/02/2001)

"Hollywood hypocrisy"
By Amy Benfer. (11/02/2001)

Freedom begets evil, and other realizations By Norah Vincent
For civil libertarians -- like myself -- war is a time for some harsh reevaluation. (11/02/2001)

Rumsfeld's propaganda war By Rick Newman
With battlefield access nonexistent, the secretary of defense is keeping the press in line with carefully calibrated leaks and themes of the day. (11/02/2001)

Who should get the anthrax vaccine? By Arthur Allen
A federal panel debates making the controversial drug, now restricted to the military, available more widely. (11/02/2001)

What next? By King Kaufman
With the World Series headed back to Phoenix for the finale, the Yankees have taught us to expect the extraordinary. (11/02/2001)

She's, like, deep By Amy Reiter
Cruz digs Cruise, but not for his looks; "Survivor" chef won't serve blood. Plus: Another "Seinfeld" spinoff nose-dives, and Madonna says she couldn't seduce Jacko! (11/02/2001)

Selling Brand America By Jake Tapper
The government -- and the U.S.'s new propaganda chief -- plot to create a friendlier image overseas, and combat decades of vicious P.R. (11/02/2001)

Joan dearest By David Thomson
Crawford and Jackie Cooper did more than play badminton. (11/02/2001)

Dumpster diving on the Web By Katharine Mieszkowski
The Internet Wayback Machine aims to archive everything online. But will copyright laws leave nothing but junk? (11/02/2001)

Getting away with it By Scott Rosenberg
The Justice Department's settlement mocks antitrust law and leaves Microsoft free to ravage new markets at will. (11/02/2001)

Is Bill Gates' nightmare over? By Damien Cave, Katharine Mieszkowski and Andrew Leonard
The Microsoft antitrust case appears to be ending -- not with a bang, but with a Bush administration-brokered whimper. Our experts weigh in. (11/02/2001)

The week in dirt Read by Amy Reiter
How Lo can she go? J.Lo demands deluxe treatment at a 9/11 charity event. Plus: Billy Crystal, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bruce Willis, Seinfeld and more. (11/01/2001)

Who is Osama bin Laden? By Laura Miller
Is he a cog in a vast wheel of state-sponsored terrorism -- or a new breed of freelance evil genius? (11/01/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Rich white guys speak out about the sacrifices they are willing to make for the War on Terrorism. (11/01/2001)

Hollywood hypocrisy By Amy Benfer
"Riding in Cars With Boys," the uplifting memoir of a teenage mom done good, is twisted into a smarmy fable designed to promote abstinence-only sex education. (11/01/2001)

The real "fifth column" By Joe Conason
While conservative pundits whine about treacherous lefty intellectuals, a real group of far-right traitors may be striking at America from within. (11/01/2001)

The making of Osama bin Laden By Jason Burke
From Saudi rich boy to the world's most wanted man: A British newspaper painstakingly retraces the development of a terrorist mastermind. (11/01/2001)

Words no longer fail us By Edward Hudson
It's a new world, full of gaytriotism and bluster bombs. We need a new vocabulary. (11/01/2001)

Alicia Silverstone eats Raw Balls! By Amy Reiter
Tell me no: Jacko and Liza to make movie? Sarah Michelle on silicone breasts. Plus: Heather Graham dating Cher's Elijah. (11/01/2001)

Have sex like a queer! By David Bowman
Sex guru and "Pucker Up" author Tristan Taormina talks about opening all the doors, then goes shopping for a dog collar. (11/01/2001)

Linux goes to the movies By Michael J. Hammel
Who says free software is passé? Hollywood's special-effects industry can't get enough of the operating system built by hackers, for hackers. (11/01/2001)

"Search for Bombs, not Nail Clippers"
By P. Smith (11/01/2001)