About Benj Demott

“I know the Duke’s faults,” said Phineas [Finn], “but these men know nothing of his virtues and when I hear them abuse him I cannot stand it.” Anthony Trollope, The Prime Minister As a candidate for president, Obama was the darling of the media and a wide swathe of the political spectrum. All has changed. … Read more

1 The black and white photograph had been blown up from a snapshot taken in early March of 1945, seven men in a forest. They are posed the way a school class is posed in a group portrait, two sitting and one kneeling in the front row, three standing behind them, and my father standing … Read more

A friend of First‘s emailed us this note earlier in March. A Citizen in Wisconsin Drove up to Madison last Saturday. Me and about 70,000 other people were there. It is, but shouldn’t be, a somewhat revelatory moment when you experience the range of people who can come together when the organizing principle is economic … Read more

Barack Obama went back to (the black) church during his Tucson speech as he brought good news about Gabby Giffords – “She opened her eyes! She opened her eyes! She opened her eyes!” His little improvisation reminded me of Al Sharpton’s gospel triad at Michael Jackson’s funeral – “Michael never stopped! Michael never stopped! Michael … Read more

“Violet Sacks” originally posted this critique of “progressive” reactions to the shootings in Tucson at her website, www.reclusiveleftist.com. The past week has been full of bizarre responses to the Arizona shooting, and if I weren’t so tired and depressed I’d grace you all with a 10,000 word essay on the subject. But I am tired … Read more

Greil Marcus posted the following piece at Powells’ blog during the run-up to the midterm election. My nightmare headline for November 3: OBAMA RESIGNS AFTER GOP SWEEP Admits Kenyan birth, Muslim Faith A book I published this month with Public Affairs, Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus, Writings 1968-2010, begins with the story of a rumor … Read more

After eight years of life under a president whose power was exercised partly through the denuding and crippling of language, to the point where once familiar words lost their meaning (Clear Skies meant more pollution, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques meant throwing the Geneva Conventions out the window, etc.), the excitement is still high over having a … Read more