Friday Notes
Rachel Campbell-Johnston reviews"The Ramayana: Love and Valour in India's Great Epic," a major exhibit at the British Library until 14 September. Neil Gaiman's accompanying podcasts about the Ramayana are here.
Mills Kelly,"You Have Been Warned," edwired, 25 August, features his new course,"Lying About History." Its practicum in the second half of the course will create a historical hoax and set it afloat on the net. You have been warned. Thanks to Rob MacDougall for the tip.
Sean Wilentz, whose"A Liberal's Lament," Newsweek, 23 August, somehow missed the Bill and Hillary Clinton script for the week, has continued to take a lot of hits. In addition to Kevin Drum's"One Last Shot," Kevin Drum, 25 August, Scott Lemieux,"A Sycophant's Lament," Lawyers, Guns and Money, 25 August, and publius,"The Continuing Decline of Sean Wilentz," Obsidian Wings, 24 August, see: Charles Kaiser,"For the Defense," Newsweek, 27 August, and Jim Sleeper,"Another One Bites the Dust," TPM Café, 28 August. Sleeper is particularly harsh. While disagreeing with Wilentz on every substantial point, Eric Rauchway,"We [heart] you, Sean!" Edge of the American West, 27 August, takes on publius to defend the Princeton professor's free speech rights.
Robert A. Caro,"Johnson's Dream, Obama's Speech," NYT, 27 August, remembers Lyndon Johnson summoning the United States to civil rights for all its citizens.