A Plague Of Crossword Puzzles

“Somehow crossword types think that their addiction to this sad form of mental self-abuse somehow makes them “literary.” Sorry: Doing puzzles reflects not an elevated literary sensibility but a degraded letter-ary sensibility, one that demonstrates an inability to find pleasure in reading. Otherwise, why choose the wan, sterile satisfactions of crosswords over the far more robust full-blooded pleasures of books?”

European Families Demand New York Museums Return Picassos

“The dispute is not only spectacular because of the valuable paintings, but also because of the people involved. The heirs are all German and Swedish citizens of Jewish ancestry. They are demanding that the paintings be returned by museums where American Jews such Ronald S. Lauder, the cosmetics heir, art collector and president of the World Jewish Congress, wield great influence.”