At the very minimum, they are people who are – in Susan Sontag’s definition of a writer – “interested in everything”.

Today’s pop culture offers few examples of such people. What we get instead is a superficial and unsatisfying churn of short-term celebs and trends. The space vacated by challenging novels, experimental cinema, and difficult... See more

when did not being stupid become a social offense? ignorance has become an accepted trait, being learned a social faux pas. admitting that you lack even the most basic cultural literacy has become as trendy as owning a pair of tabis.

pretension is out, and we are all worse for it.

any earnest expression of literacy or tastefulness is now painted... See more