Archive for February 2025
Move fast, break things, kill the pig
by David Benjamin “Aren’t there any grownups at all?” — Piggy PARIS—One of the blessings of a liberal arts education is the ability to discern timeless themes from the turmoil of the moment. The return of Donald Trump to his Second Reich at the Resolute Desk, attended by a menagerie of suckups and vandals, has…
Read MoreThe storyteller as travel guide
Specialty writers are a rich resource to a storyteller. The most important lesson they teach is attention to detail, especially when the story ranges far from home. by David Benjamin “When we championed trash culture we had no idea it would become the only culture.” ― Pauline Kael PARIS—During my sojourn in Japan, I was……
Read MoreOutmaneuvering the maestro
by David Benjamin “If they give you ruled paper, write the other way” —Juan Ramon Jimenez PARIS—The dilemma of the moment in America and beyond: Confrontation or subversion? Or both? I offer a case in point: Many moons ago, the renowned La Scala Opera Company of Milan mounted a lengthy excursion to Japan. It brought…
Read MoreJerome the Giant goes outdoors
by David Benjamin Jerome was a giant. Nobody told him he was a giant, but he figured it out. Jerome lived indoors and never went out. There were no windows in his house. If there were windows, the tinies might be able to squeeze inside. They might get hurt. Jerome had learned a lot from…
Read MoreThe pedagogy of creation
Writing can be taught, and there are curricula—and prestigious college seminars—devoted to “creative writing.” But can you teach creativity? by David Benjamin “However great a man’s natural talent may be, the art of writing cannot be learned all at once.” ― Jean-Jacques Rousseau MADISON, Wis.—It has always been my conviction that you can’t teach creativity.……
Read More… and the horse you came in on
by David Benjamin “I think I’m going to get a Nobel Prize for a lot of things, if they gave it out fairly, which they don’t.” —Trump STOCKHOLM—In announcing the creation of a new category in the world’s most prestigious international awards program, Sigurd Sigurdssonn, chairman of the Nobel Prize Search Committee, has denied that…
Read MoreThe credibility chasm
Readers can turn agains an author if the details of a report or a story are so inaccurate that they are noticeable. Credibility can be a chasm for the writer who doesn’t bother to check and double-check. by David Benjamin “People know accuracy when they read it; they can feel it.” ― Alan Furst MADISON,……
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