From TLS, an article on the century of Claude Levi-Strauss: How the great anthropologist, now approaching his 100th birthday, has earned a place in the prestigious Pleiade library; is fiction inherently capitalist? A review of Russell Berman's Fiction Sets You Free: Literature, Liberty, and Western Culture; and who wrote the original Frankenstein? From NYRB, considering their marital difficulties, it is not surprising that Edmund Wilson made fewer entries in his journal during the years the marriage with Mary McCarthy lasted. From Literary Review, a review of Two Planks and a Passion: The Dramatic History of Skiing by Roland Huntford. From The New Yorker, an article on the grammar of fun: CliffyB and the world of the video game. More on Lawrence Lessig's Remix (and an interview). From Slate, Jack Shafer on why you're wasting your time worrying about the "liberal media". Skewed news reporting is taken as a sign of a dysfunctional media — in fact, it may be a sign of healthy competition. Shock: Drudge loses his grip on US media! Barbed wire: A look at how the AP is breaking more than news. Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand think everyone wants them; where do they get their confidence? (and a look at the chequered history of phone-prank comedy). A look at why they don't make hoaxes like they used to.

From The Daily Beast, Cass Sunstein on spreading the wealth around: To suggest that "redistribution" is a dirty word is a terrible insult to American history — and to the democratic process itself. A look at what Obama really meant by "redistributive change". Michael Kinsley on Obama the wealth spreader. Barack Obama favors redistributing wealth — so does John McCain. Perhaps there is some meaningful distinction between spreading the wealth and sharing it (“collectively,” no less), but finding it would require the analytic skills of Karl the Marxist. Barbara Ehrenreich reports from the Socialist International Conspiracy. The Red Scare and Average Joes: What we talk about when we talk about socialism. The Other Issues: The ones that aren't being talked about. From First of the Month, choosy beggars 2008: Writers and readers comment on the election. The U.S. is separated between red and blue, liberals, conservatives but the deepest rift might be linguistic. Hopes for a happy ending: Literary voices on the American Election. Prophet of Palin: Did Stephen King (the self-aware literary badass) foresee the Republican VP candidate? From Critical Mass, which work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry best captures the realities of American political culture? The Partisan Imagination: Does being an artist make you a liberal? Dubya's reign is nearly over: What impact did he have on the artistic life of his country?

Carolyn F. Pevey and Nelya J. McKenzie (Auburn): Love, Fear, and Loathing: A Qualitative Examination of Christian Perceptions of Muslims. From Contexts, Jen'nan Ghazal Read (Duke): Muslims in America. At the end of a Presidential campaign that has seen "Arab" become a political slur, Arab-Americans remain at the margins of US politics. From Foreign Policy, a look at the world’s top religious power brokers. From The New Yorker, Red Sex, Blue Sex: Why do so many evangelical teen-agers become pregnant? Soulgasms of the Christian Right: A review of Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics by Dagmar Herzog. Christ Uber Alles: An interview with Jeff Sharlet (and a review of The Family at Bookforum). From Books & Culture, a review of The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats are Closing the God Gap by Amy Sullivan. From HNN, an interview with G. Calvin Mackenzie and Robert Weisbrot, authors of The Liberal Hour; and the dumbing down of American politics: An interview with Rick Shenkman. George Monbiot on the triumph of ignorance: Why morons succeed in US politics. From Open Source, political scientist James Fishkin’s ideal democracy is ruled by "the voice of the people, when they are thinking"; and historian Gordon Wood on a longer view of 2008.

From The Times, Andrew Sullivan on why Barack Obama ("the chosen one") has got identity politics on the run and on the top ten reasons conservatives should vote for Obama. Jeffrey Hart on why Obama is the real conservative. From TAC, the right to remain silent: Conservatives don’t need a movement and the best have no use for one; and a look at how the Secessionist Spirit of ’76 Lives. Wacko patrol: A look at America's 25 scariest conservatives. Here's a panel on Rick Perlstein’s Nixonland (and an excerpt at Bookforum). Tucker Carlson writes in defense of elitism. Dick Meyer on 5 myths about values voters. From Carnegie Council, a panel on Mark Noll's God and Race in American Politics. The Obama swagger: Why black men everywhere are standing a little taller; and Jack White returns to the Home for Retired Racial Stereotypes to find out about Obama's secret weapon. Chris Hedges on populism arising — but will it be the killer kind? Martin Kettle on why all this inner racist demon stuff is wildly overblown. An interview with David Duke on an Obama Presidency. A look at why white supremacists support Barack Obama. Guess who's coming to dinner: Frank Rich writes in defense of white Americans. Thomas Frank on how Joe the Plumber fits the GOP narrative and on Joe the Plumber and GOP "authenticity": It's hard to reach out to workers while cracking down on unions.