December 2001

Pop goes the art film By Andrew O'Hehir
Fabulous Frodo aside, disturbing art films ("Mulholland Drive," "Amores Perros," "Sexy Beast") dominated this splendid year for movies. (12/31/2001)

Hobbits and courtesans and David Lynch, oh my! By Stephanie Zacharek
Movies from Sweden, France and some very weird imaginations enthralled us in 2001. (12/31/2001)

From Middle-earth to Mulholland Drive By Charles Taylor
The best in movies, 2001: The world turned to the tune of sexy beasts and even darker dreams. (12/31/2001)

It was a very strange year By the Salon Arts Staff
In movie screens in 2001, the nightmares took over, with the exception of one wizardly epic. (12/31/2001)

New York braces for New Year's Eve Associated Press
(12/31/2001)

"Charlotte Gray" By Charles Taylor
Gillian Armstong's latest triumph is a juicy melodrama starring a stunning Cate Blanchett. (12/28/2001)

Fog of war By Andrew O'Hehir
"Black Hawk Down's" gripping images of the U.S. military's missteps in Somalia grope about in a context-free void. (12/28/2001)

The silence of the wildebeests
Plus: A heartwarming story about two men and a commode. (12/28/2001)

Celebrity sex! Meltdowns! Rumors! Paternity battles and more! By Amy Reiter
In Nothing Personal's third annual Readers' Choice Awards, Salon's avid gossip fans make their predictions for 2002. (12/27/2001)

"Gosford Park" By Stephanie Zacharek
Robert Altman delivers a heavily populated, slyly made romantic (and murderous) romp for the holidays. (12/26/2001)

The year in music By Joey Sweeney
Britney grows up, the Strokes get the girls, Bob Dylan pencils a moustache and everyone is mad at the goddamn record industry! Why hype finally failed in 2001. (12/26/2001)

"Kate & Leopold" By Stephanie Zacharek
Hugh Jackman, sexy and unflappable, is the highlight of this time-travel romance with Meg Ryan. (12/25/2001)

"Ali" By Charles Taylor
Will Smith flies like a butterfly, but what director Michael Mann does to the greatest fighter of all time just stings. (12/25/2001)

"The Shipping News" By Charles Taylor
Kevin Spacey mucks up an otherwise pretty and pleasantly vague take on E. Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. (12/25/2001)

All hail Pottersville! By Gary Kamiya
The "bad" town in "It's a Wonderful Life" jumps and jives 24/7 with hot bars and cool chicks -- while "wholesome" Bedford Falls is a claustrophobic snooze. (12/22/2001)

"The Majestic" By Charles Taylor
The new Jim Carrey movie is an elephantine, oppressively sentimental look at small-town America at the time of the Hollywood blacklist. (12/21/2001)

"A Beautiful Mind" By Charles Taylor
Ron Howard and Russell Crowe team up to produce a very dumb movie about a very smart man. (12/21/2001)

"Lantana" By Andrew O'Hehir
"American Beauty" meets Bergman in this note-perfect masterwork on a modest, human scale. (12/21/2001)

Frank, my dear ...
We don't give a damn! Plus: The lions are restless. (12/21/2001)

Last-minute gift ideas By Salon's critics
From Victorian erotic drawings to toy spaceships to eloquent animal portraits, there's a sumptuous gift book to please even the most persnickety person on your list. (12/21/2001)

Letters  
Readers respond to Charles Taylor's "Trauma Culture" and Laura Calder's "Recipe for Boredom." (12/21/2001)

A birthday that will live in infamy By Cary Tennis
If you were born on the 11th of September, you can make a wish and blow out the candles, but that silly old song will never sound the same. (12/21/2001)

Seeing the light By Carolyn S. Briggs
A former Christian fundamentalist recalls a life of ferocious, intractable faith -- and the moments it began to crumble. (12/21/2001)

Panic at the Bangi Bridge By Phillip Robertson
A trip to the front in Afghanistan turns into a nightmare after a Taliban ambush sets off a panic. (12/21/2001)

The media's favorite Arab expert By Eric Boehlert
Scholar Fouad Ajami has garnered more prime-time airplay than any other commentator on Arab-Muslim issues. But critics say he's far from a representative voice. (12/21/2001)

John Walker's brothers and sisters By Anthony York
None of the San Francisco Bay Area's many other Muslim converts followed his same ill-fated path. But is there something about their religious experience that estranges them from their own country? (12/21/2001)

Patrick Leahy By Jake Tapper
The Vermont senator talks about terrorism, his "strained relationship" with Attorney General John Ashcroft and the beauty of the First Amendment. (12/21/2001)

Xmas at the Jolie-Thorntons By Amy Reiter
More cuteness from the lovebirds; Seagal speaks out about lawsuit; Messing finds post-9/11 depth; Patricia Arquette makes pubic hairpiece! (12/21/2001)

Girls and tires By Douglas Cruickshank
The girly calendars in the diesel shop of my youth were nothing like the Pirelli art photography -- except both feature sexy women. (12/21/2001)

The techno-thrill is gone By Andrew Leonard
After Sept. 11, we know digital wizardry can't save the world -- or even distract us from horror. But don't trash those gadgets yet. (12/21/2001)

What I learned about Christmas By Carina Chocano
Everybody hates it, and other lessons from "The Simpsons," "Ally McBeal," "Alias," "Raymond" and "Malcolm." (12/20/2001)

The education of Little Fraud By Allen Barra
How did a racist speechwriter for George Wallace turn into a "Cherokee" sage and author of a revered multicultural text? The weird tale of Asa ("Forrest") Carter. (12/20/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Your sensitive government at work. (12/20/2001)

Going with the flow By Libby Ellis
For menstrual mogul Vinnie D'Angelo, it's always that time of the month. (12/20/2001)

Nepal under the radar By Sean Kenny
Still reeling from the massacre of its royal family, Nepal finds itself struggling to fend off a Maoist revolution -- while the West looks away. (12/20/2001)

The midnight ride of James Woolsey By Asla Aydintasbas
The former CIA director presents himself as the Paul Revere of the terrorism age, trying to waken America to its greatest threat -- Saddam Hussein. Should we be listening? (12/20/2001)

Fightin' and lovin' among the celebs By Amy Reiter
Drew and Tom's pleasant bust-up; McCartney's Heather says she's not a gold digger. Plus: Tommy Lee says Pam was on all fours with the horses! (12/20/2001)

Memo to George By Bruce Kluger and David Slavin
Christmas presents for Rummy, Condi, Colin et al. -- but a big bag of coal for Ari! (12/20/2001)

Tanya's chili By David Thomson
In "Touch of Evil" Welles made the aging Dietrich into the quintessential femme fatale. (12/20/2001)

Ghost arcade By Scott Rosenberg
Old video games never die -- they just become collectibles and haunt our dreams. (12/20/2001)

Music industry in the pits! By Eric Boehlert
Record sales are down, no one's seeing concerts, no one's advertising on radio and the stars are revolting! (12/19/2001)

Why the record industry is killing the single By Eric Boehlert
One of the most hallowed symbols of rock 'n' roll is on its way out, and consumers -- and artists -- are the losers. (12/19/2001)

"One Ring to Rule Them All"
J.R.R. Tolkien sings Sam Gamgee's "Rhyme of the Troll" and speaks the "Verse of the Ring" -- both excerpts from his acclaimed first book in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (12/19/2001)

"My Preciousssss!"
Hear an excerpt from the 1970s BBC Radio dramatization of "The Lord of the Rings" featuring Ian Holm, who plays Bilbo in the movie, as Frodo. (12/19/2001)

Recipe for boredom By Laura Calder
Why must the modern cookbook be such a flavorless affair? (12/19/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (12/19/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
It does not rain in Vegas! (12/19/2001)

Lynda Barry
It's a Fred Milton Christmas Spectacular! (12/19/2001)

The ticking Palestinian bomb that Israel can't defuse By Flore de Préneuf
An exploding birthrate means that Arabs will outnumber Jews in Greater Israel next year. How long can Israel continue to rule a "minority" population larger than its Jewish one? (12/19/2001)

Memo to N.Y. Times sportswriters wracked with Giambi guilt: Get over it By Allen Barra
I'm deeply ashamed that the Yankees oppressed the suburbs by flexing their wallet, but with Jennifer Lopez's help, I'll get over it. (12/19/2001)

Making sense of the Mumia Abu-Jamal decision By David Lindorff
A federal judge frees the convicted cop killer from death row, but makes it less likely he'll get to argue his innocence at a new trial. (12/19/2001)

The key to Afghanistan By Robert Scheer
Secularism unlocks the door to stability. (12/19/2001)

The Enron scandal By Arianna Huffington
Why was no one minding the store? (12/19/2001)

Women's football: Ready for prime time? By King Kaufman
When teams like the Vipers and the Slammers mix it up, it's the real deal. And they're hoping recognition is just a chip-shot field goal away. (12/19/2001)

Osama been stalkin' By Amy Reiter
Gwyneth reveals more terrorism; Timberlake explains Britney's flaws; Britney pities Mariah; Jerry Hall on her equestrian orgasm! (12/19/2001)

Almost like love By Lillian Ann Slugocki
The potential for innocence beckoned me and I became reckless in search of it. (12/19/2001)

Playing games with Apple By Daniel Drew Turner
Mac gamers have long suffered from PC envy. But this year their holiday spirits are unexpectedly up. (12/19/2001)

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" By Stephanie Zacharek
The heroic and epic film version of "The Lord of the Rings" brings beauty, awe and excitement back to the big screen. (12/18/2001)

My ex has my cat -- and he won't give him back! By Cary Tennis
Salon's advice columnist attacks a question that just leaps out at him. (12/18/2001)

"Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks By Stephanie Zacharek
Oliver Sacks recalls his childhood romance with chemistry in a book so delightful that even the scientifically illiterate will fall for it, too. (12/18/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
The thing under the futon: Its discovery (12/18/2001)

Cooking for fun and staggering profits By Chris Colin
The apogee of my culinary career came early, and ended with a dog instead of a swimming pool full of Coke. (12/18/2001)

Sweet, fruity, yet carbonated By Chris Colin
Remember: Stir and mash, stir and mash. (12/18/2001)

Don't cry for Indian democracy By Rashmi Sinha
The terror attack on Parliament was tragic, but the government was back in business the next day in the world's largest democracy. (12/18/2001)

Michael Romano By Brian Libby
One of New York's top chefs talks about cooking on Sept. 11, kitchen piracy and why food shouldn't be an intellectual experience. (12/18/2001)

The boy who cried divorce By Amy Reiter
Is the Green-Barrymore split to be believed? Schreiber: Liev him alone! Plus: Cruz crazy about Crowe's magic; Destiny's Child denies breakup. (12/18/2001)

New on DVD: OBL By Tom McNichol
A high-definition version of Osama's "smoking gun" videotape offers extra footage, amusing bloopers and helpful technical information. (12/18/2001)

Fear of foolishness By Cary Tennis
How can I stop worrying about what other people think of my boyfriend? (12/18/2001)

Don't steal music, pretty please By Paul Boutin
Record companies will make big, big money online. They just need to learn to let go. (12/18/2001)

"Carter Beats the Devil" Read by Stanley Tucci
In the America of the 1920s renowned magician Carter the Great, the hero of Glen David Gold's new novel, prepares for his biggest and most dangerous stunt yet -- one that involves the president. (12/17/2001)

Salon recommends
Unnervingly three-dimensional nightmares, new fiction picks and more (12/17/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
"Phantoms of lost liberty" and subversive penguins (12/17/2001)

Variation on a theme By Matt Porter
There is much to be said for the homemade hot tub. (12/17/2001)

Leaping to conclusions By Tamim Ansary
Well-meaning observers are making dangerous assumptions about Afghan women and their goals for the future. (12/17/2001)

Al-Qaida's last stand By Mark Kukis
After I dodged a mortar shell on the front lines and met with mujahedin fighters who weren't so lucky, the Eastern Alliance declared victory -- again. (12/17/2001)

But what was his favorite color?
Readers respond to an interview with Kurt Vonnegut and Merle Kessler's slash fiction article. (12/17/2001)

Wrestling with evil By King Kaufman
Maverick Governor Jesse Ventura talks about the enemy in our midst, defends Ashcroft's terror crackdown and blasts compulsory patriotism. (12/17/2001)

Announcing the Third Annual Readers' Choice Awards By Amy Reiter
Take a look back at 2001 (and ahead to 2002) through the pink filter of celebrity dish and help give Eminem, Kim, Nic, Tom, Liz, Mariah, Brad, Jennifer, Billy Bob, Angelina and the rest the recognition they deserve. (12/17/2001)

I have sinned: I lied on my résumé By King Kaufman
Like Notre Dame's fired football coach, I've fibbed about my past. Let me set the record straight. (12/17/2001)

Land of the rising Xbox By Steve Mollman
Nintendo, Sony and Sega have made Japan king of the game console. Can Microsoft make a dent in Nippon? (12/17/2001)

Trauma culture By Charles Taylor
From Oklahoma City to New York, we've turned violent human loss into epic narratives of suffering and patriotism. Does this help people heal or hurt them? (12/15/2001)

Unholy alliance By Michael Lerner
How Sharon and Hamas work in concert against peace. (12/15/2001)

"Vanilla Sky" By Stephanie Zacharek
Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz and -- gasp! -- Cameron Crowe dump the first massive lump of Christmas coal. (12/14/2001)

"The Royal Tenenbaums" By Stephanie Zacharek
"Rushmore" director Wes Anderson is more interested in his own precocity than he is in his characters. (12/14/2001)

"Iris" By Charles Taylor
The film of novelist Iris Murdoch's life suffers from PBS syndrome, but Dame Judi Dench cures with a moving portrayal of life with Alzheimer's. (12/14/2001)

"Kandahar" By Andrew O'Hehir
A stark and beautiful film traces an Afghan woman's journey across a landscape we may never understand. (12/14/2001)

Come back, little bartender!
Tom's got a cute little new friend -- and he's growing. Plus: Lex keeps on tweaking! (12/14/2001)

"Child Stars"
Never shy to state his opinion, Dennis Miller takes pity on Haley Joel Osment and makes it clear why you ought to keep your child away from Hollywood. (12/14/2001)

Letters  
Readers respond to an interview with controversial Israeli historian Tom Segev and an article about a bestselling memoirist whose family says her book is full of lies. (12/14/2001)

Lynda Barry
Crush (12/14/2001)

Are you ready to dance on Osama's grave? By Gawain Charlton-Perrin
The apparent architect of our worst nightmare is seen celebrating our losses. Will we do the same when he comes to a violent end? (12/14/2001)

Bud Selig's forked tongue By Allen Barra
Grilled by congressmen asking embarrassing questions about Major League Baseball's supposed business crisis, the commissioner switched sports and put on a Gale Sayers-like display of evasion. (12/14/2001)

World's Scariest Home Video By Joan Walsh
"Osama: The Movie" was weird and chilling -- but not in the way the administration said. (12/14/2001)

Was justice done? By Christopher Dreher
The 21-year-old Lebanese man who was held in solitary for six weeks for having a knife in his carry-on baggage will be allowed to leave the country -- but marked by a felony conviction that could scar the rest of his life. (12/14/2001)

The smoking gun? By Eric Boehlert
The Arab world gives a mixed reaction to the tape released by the U.S. government showing Osama bin Laden's connection to the Sept. 11 attacks. (12/14/2001)

Expo! Expo! By King Kaufman
As a man's fancy turns to signage, where better to indulge it than the all-star game of trade shows? (12/14/2001)

Now that's obscenity! By Amy Reiter
Ed Koch shares some choice words; Will Smith talks sex, whale gums; McCartney breaks our hearts with Harrison story. Plus: What's with celebrities and castles? (12/14/2001)

The Enron outrage By Thomas Frank
Free-market ideologues said the energy titan's triumphs proved them right. Now they should admit its humiliating collapse proves they were wrong. (12/14/2001)

Lonesome dove? By Jake Tapper
As Bush touts his missile defense shield, one of its strongest former critics -- Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge -- remains silent. (12/14/2001)

Falling in love again By Charles Taylor
It's the photos of Marlene Dietrich in drag that are the real turn-on in this book. (12/14/2001)

Crappy shows, you face "The Tick"! By Carina Chocano
One dumb superhero dons the oven mitts of all that's right and strangles the red-hot throat of all that's wrong. (12/13/2001)

The week in dirt By Amy Reiter
Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock like to whoop it up, and all we do is wait for the video. Plus: Eminem and Kim Basinger rumours, J.Lo's see-through dresses for kids and more. (12/13/2001)

Out of the blue By King Kaufman
It jolted America out of its complacency and showed us our enemies were smarter than we thought. The author of "Sputnik" compares the days of that shocking satellite to our own. (12/13/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Are things the same yet? (12/13/2001)

An Afghan aristocrat fights for equality By Janelle Brown
Leila Enayat-Seraj rolls up her couture sleeves to rescue Afghan art and restore civil rights for women. (12/13/2001)

"The Nightmare"
By Chris Dreher (12/13/2001)

After Arafat? By Flore de Préneuf
As Israel cuts off contact with the Palestinian leader after another bloody attack, the question of who might succeed him gains urgency. (12/13/2001)

"It's Not Just Hamas"
By Norah Vincent (12/13/2001)

A response to Andrew Sullivan By Scott Rosenberg
The pundit's charge against Salon cartoonist Carol Lay is just plain wrong. (12/13/2001)

Rick Bragg By Lynda Cardwell
He's gone from Calhoun County, Ala., to Islamabad and back, but the author of "Ava's Man" never leaves his family far behind. (12/13/2001)

Roll over, Wilt By Amy Reiter
Gene Simmons boasts 4,600 sexual conquests -- in detail; Ben Bratt feeling no pain. Plus: Streep and Janney won't do sex scene; Britney strips for some cause or other. (12/13/2001)

War ends for Armey By Jake Tapper
Conservative House stalwart resigns amid public smiles -- and private jabs from members of both parties. (12/13/2001)

Searching for Saddam's replacement By Jeff Stein
Washington reaches out to ex-Iraqi generals. (12/13/2001)

Hold your fire By David Thomson
I come not to bury Julia Roberts -- she's doing a good job of that herself in "Ocean's 11." (12/13/2001)

A no-fly zone for terrorism By Katharine Mieszkowski
By taking pilots out of the loop, can software prevent planes from being used as bombs? (12/13/2001)

"Nukes Now!"
By Damien Cave (12/13/2001)

Why college radio fears the DMCA By Mark L. Shahinian
If the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is fully enforced, stations will be unable to afford to webcast their tunes. (12/13/2001)

"Piñero" By Charles Taylor
A mythologizing biopic about a junkie playwright, thief and con man. The movie's a con, too. (12/12/2001)

"Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea" Read by Peter Thomas
Carl Zimmer's companion book to the PBS series tells the story of the theory of evolution from Darwin to 21st-century science. (12/12/2001)

Family feud By Elizabeth Manus
Relatives of bestselling memoirist Jennifer Lauck say that "Blackbird," her book about her miserable childhood, is full of lies. (12/12/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (12/12/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
Viva Las Vegas! (12/12/2001)

Ready for her close-up By Janelle Brown
A doctor, educator, human rights activist and mother, Habiba Sarabi longs for a chance to work -- legally -- back home in Afghanistan. (12/12/2001)

Hopeless in Jerusalem By Janelle Brown
"Promises," a documentary about children growing up in the middle of the Arab-Israeli conflict, reveals early lessons in hatred and a grim absence of optimism. (12/12/2001)

It's not just Hamas By Norah Vincent
It's time for America to stop coddling the Palestinians -- they're bloodthirsty bigots who would have exterminated the Jews if they were in charge. (12/12/2001)

Kurt Vonnegut: "My God, Vesuvius has erupted again!" By Christopher Kemp
At 79, the author of "Slaughterhouse Five" reflects on Sept. 11, death, heaven and the meaning of life. (12/12/2001)

Getting into J.Lo's jeans By Amy Reiter
Lopez peddles her wares to the underage set; now showing: Hurley & Bing in "Return of the Bickersons." Plus: Penelope Cruz in "Vanilla South Park"? (12/12/2001)

Israel's House foes By Jake Tapper
In a meaningless resolution, a small group of House critics tee off on U.S. foreign policy -- and Israel -- lamenting the "root causes of terrorism." (12/12/2001)

The secret history of Mr. Happy By David Bowman
"A Mind of Its Own" author David M. Friedman chats about the long, uncut history of the penis. (12/12/2001)

Where no geek has gone before By Damien Cave
"Star Trek" fans love to hate Ensign Wesley Crusher, but actor Wil Wheaton is a nerd hackers have come to respect. (12/12/2001)

In defense of the original "Ocean's 11" By Karen Croft
The remake is a marketing-driven bore. I'd rather be at Chasen's with Frank, Dino and the gang. (12/11/2001)

"The Business of Strangers" By Charles Taylor
Julia Stiles and Stockard Channing breathe life into a cold, hard movie about the sadistic lives of corporate whores. (12/11/2001)

"Shrinking the Cat" by Sue Hubbell By Charles Taylor
Even before humanity knew about genes, we were fiddling around with genetic engineering. So why get bent out of shape about it now? (12/11/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Dream on, Toon Girl! (12/11/2001)

All quiet on the homefront By Jennifer Foote Sweeney
Today's wartime propaganda suggests normalcy and consumption, a far cry from the government's campaign during World War II, which called upon Americans to completely change their way of life. (12/11/2001)

The women behind the women of Afghanistan By Janelle Brown
Hena Efat was smuggled into the Afghan Women's Summit; her plan is to go home and fight some more. (12/11/2001)

America's handy new Insta-Traitor: Just add hot-tub water and stir! By Scott Rosenberg
Conservatives who say that America-hating California relativism produced John Walker don't know what they're talking about -- literally. (12/11/2001)

The nightmare By Christopher Dreher
Lebanese art student Salam El Zaatari has been held in solitary confinement for six weeks after airport security found an artist's knife in his carry-on case. His real crime: Being an Arab. (12/11/2001)

The horror: Protesting Soderbergh's blasphemy By Chris Colin
"Hey, George: Go back to the E.R. before Frank sends you there! Yo, Brad: Dino could spit you out like an olive pit!" (12/11/2001)

Easy come, easy go By Amy Reiter
So much for the Basinger-Eminem rumor; Madonna shows off potty language! Plus: Hugh Grant gets catty; Hurley gets stalked and Gwyneth gets secretive. (12/11/2001)

Fighting off fantasies By Cary Tennis
Encounters with strange musicians, married women and old boyfriends are part of the joys and exquisite frustrations of life. (12/11/2001)

Sweatshop Stars and Stripes By Matt Weiser
How Chinese communism is profiting from America's post-Sept. 11 love affair with the flag. (12/11/2001)

"Segway's Assault on Walking"
By Christopher Orlet (12/11/2001)

Real Life Rock Top 10
(12/11/2001)

"The Austere Academy" By Lemony Snicket
The fifth novel in Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events" about the hapless orphans Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire is another darkly funny masterpiece, this time enriched with beautifully strange music by Stephin Merritt. (12/10/2001)

Salon recommends
Ursula Le Guin's witches take charge, new fiction picks and other recent books we've loved. (12/10/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
An Action McNews Special Report: The War at Home (12/10/2001)

How low can they go? By Kera Bolonik
Women's magazines, once the source of first-rate writing, now offer a steady diet of diets and product tie-ins to readers who get no respect. (12/10/2001)

Twist of fate By Eric Boehlert
Michael Chertoff once spoke passionately against racial profiling. Now, as John Ashcroft's right-hand man, critics say he's singling out Arabs as possible terrorists. (12/10/2001)

Birth of a salesman By Arianna Huffington
In a new television spot, the president pushes tourism as patriotism. (12/10/2001)

Porn -- for the rest of us By Merle Kessler
Slash fiction features the oddest of celebrity sexual pairings. Now, with this handy new template, you can make it yourself! (12/10/2001)

"'Publican steal election war bad!"
Readers respond to articles on "Boondocks" creator Aaron McGruder, Pat Buchanan, an evening spent with George Bush and the death of George Harrison. (12/10/2001)

Celeb wars! By Amy Reiter
Pamela and Tommy Lee getting back in the ring; more on the Hurley-Bing baby battle. Plus: Rosanna Arquette: "My body wasn't that bad!" (12/10/2001)

Nukes now! By Damien Cave
Post-Sept. 11, isn't it time to get off our fossil fuel fixation and take another look at nuclear power? (12/10/2001)

Beyond tribalism By Suzy Hansen
Controversial Israeli historian Tom Segev says a new generation of Israelis is moving beyond Zionism -- but there will be no peace until old warriors Sharon and Arafat are gone. (12/08/2001)

"Ocean's Eleven" By Stephanie Zacharek
Soderbergh's crisp, funny heist flick makes out like a bandit. George Clooney and Elliott Gould steal the show. (12/07/2001)

Just because you're paranoid ...
... Doesn't mean that someone isn't out to get you. (12/07/2001)

An interview with Jennifer Egan By Laura Miller
The author of "Look at Me" talks about her new book, the importance of the image in American culture and her research into terrorism. (12/07/2001)

Lynda Barry
Velvet Sug (12/07/2001)

"Widowers' Tales"
By Lauren Sandler (12/07/2001)

Aaron McGruder, creator of "The Boondocks" By Stephen Lemons
The controversial cartoonist calls Bush a moron, says Americans shouldn't worry about bin Laden and says he might leave the country. (12/07/2001)

Liz Hurley: The never-ending story By Amy Reiter
What am I bid for De Niro's kidney stone? Elton John recovers from bad day. Plus: What's up with Destiny's Child? (12/07/2001)

A pox on pro-lifers By Chris Mooney
Antiabortion groups say they'd rather die than take a smallpox vaccine derived from fetal tissue. (12/07/2001)

Ashcroft terrorizes Senate panel By Jake Tapper
The attorney general says that critics of Bush's controversial security measures "live in a dream world" -- as one committee member slumbers peacefully. (12/07/2001)

Wartime love affair By Holly Bailey
Hollywood and Washington make love, not war -- and the curtain falls on legislation unfriendly to the entertainment industry. (12/07/2001)

French twist By David Bowman
Serge Normant, hairdresser to the stars, talks about relationships, balding, Ellen Barkin and his new book. (12/07/2001)

Segway's assault on walking By Christopher Orlet
Dean Kamen's much-hyped superscooter is a slothful step in the wrong direction. (12/07/2001)

The fellowship of the ravenous movie press By Andrew O'Hehir
I went to the "Lord of the Rings" junket and all I got was this lousy Gandalf goblet. (12/06/2001)

Anatomy of a disaster By Carina Chocano
In "Project Greenlight," Ben (Affleck) and Matt (Damon) spark an HBO documentary series that watches a chump get his chance at the big time. (12/06/2001)

The week in dirt By Amy Reiter
The court sets it straight: Tom Cruise has never been gay. Also: Elizabeth Hurley, Samuel L. Jackson and Ian McKellen. (12/06/2001)

"The Feast of the Goat" by Mario Vargas Llosa By Laura Miller
In an epic of malignant machismo, the Peruvian novelist presents the Dominican dictator Trujillo as the chief cocksman of state. (12/06/2001)

"Eva Moves the Furniture" by Margot Livesey By Laura Miller
Two spirits guide a motherless girl through her life. Are they a blessing or a curse? (12/06/2001)

What to read: The best of fall fiction By Salon's critics
From Hanif Kureishi's tale of a rock 'n' roller's kid to the latest from V.S. Naipaul, reviews of the best books from a troubled season. (12/06/2001)

"The Pickup" by Nadine Gordimer By Anthony York
A white South African woman finds unexpected fulfillment living in her Muslim husband's homeland. (12/06/2001)

"Half a Life" by V.S. Naipaul By Chris Colin
The Nobel Prize-winner delivers a sharply observed story of the hypocrisies of sex, class and race in England and beyond. (12/06/2001)

"Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks By Suzy Hansen
An English village struck by the plague heroically quarantines itself and braces for the worst. (12/06/2001)

"He Sleeps" by Reginald McKnight By Suzy Hansen
A black American researcher in Africa is tormented by mysterious, erotic dreams about another man's wife. (12/06/2001)

"Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage" by Alice Munro By Laura Miller
Restless girls and adulterous wives contemplate the bargains they've made with life in these masterly stories by a modern-day Chekhov. (12/06/2001)

"Gabriel's Gift" by Hanif Kureishi By Stephanie Zacharek
Growing up is hard to do when you're the ambisexual son of a pair of washed-up bohemian rock 'n' rollers in contemporary London. (12/06/2001)

"Austerlitz" by W.G. Sebald By Laura Miller
A man steps into a deserted room in a railway station and suddenly confronts the riddle of his own past. (12/06/2001)

Tom the Dancing Bug By Ruben Bolling
Attention CEOs: What to do if terrorists attack (12/06/2001)

Hearts broken, hands full By Lauren Sandler
Men who became widowers and single fathers on Sept. 11 struggle with crushing grief and the relentless demands of running a family. (12/06/2001)

Putting the world on notice By Janelle Brown
Delegates to the Afghan Women's Summit, deftly maneuvering past their differences, issue an ambitious agenda for inclusion in their nation's future. (12/06/2001)

Round up the Jews! By Ron Unz
If it's OK to racially profile Muslims and Arabs now, it should have been fine to single out Jews during the 1950s Communist-spy panic. (12/06/2001)

Beyond good and evil By Arianna Huffington
The capture of John Walker muddies the line between us and them. (12/06/2001)

Jeanne Moreau By Jeff Galipeaux
When you visit the woman Orson Welles called "the greatest actress in the world," don't try to light her cigarette -- you might get burned. (12/06/2001)

Being Keith By Amy Reiter
Mr. Glimmer Twin greeted by six U.S. marshals; father of the year: Stephen Bing. Plus: Chyna's "exploding boob"! (12/06/2001)

Standing up for Bush's tough laws By Damien Cave and Anthony York
Scholars defend the expansive new law enforcement powers -- and say military tribunals are justified. (12/06/2001)

Introducing ... Julia Roberts? By David Thomson
There is a new Julia, and she's less sexy than lean, tight and anxious. (12/06/2001)

I am the broadband Bermuda Triangle By Mike Masnick
Internet service providers beware: I have powers to invoke bankruptcy beyond the ken of mortal man. (12/06/2001)

"Will Bush Be Tarnished by Enron's Collapse?"
By Andrew Leonard (12/06/2001)

Britney Spears is not the devil By Lauren Modica
And neither are the little girls who love her and her secret, shameful beat. (12/05/2001)

I'm a home-schooled weirdo and my true love is a boozer! By Cary Tennis
The girls tell him, "You're weird" -- and they really mean it. But Cary identifies with the guy, and invites him to San Francisco. (12/05/2001)

Bestsellers
This week's bestselling books courtesy of Powells.com (12/05/2001)

My neighbor, the war criminal By Suzy Hansen
An author who followed the lives of survivors in Rwanda and Bosnia talks about how people and nations learn to go on after they've suffered the unthinkable. (12/05/2001)

The K Chronicles By Keith Knight
If art doesn't get you through the tough times ... (12/05/2001)

Salon Premium -- now available by the month
(12/05/2001)

How to wash a gas mask By Katia Spiegelman Lief
Where is the normality in our New Normality, and is it OK to get water on these things? (12/05/2001)

A chance to shine By Janelle Brown
Delegates in Brussels prepare for a role in government, and react variously to a French belly dancer in a spangled bra. (12/05/2001)

The greatest quarterback of all time By Allen Barra
Overlooked by most polls, the best person to ever take a snap in the NFL is Bart Starr. (12/05/2001)

Ordinary terrorists By Flore de Préneuf
Osama Bahar and Nabil Halabiyeh played soccer and practiced karate together. On Saturday, the best friends blew up themselves and 10 young Israelis. An exclusive portrait of two unlikely mass killers. (12/05/2001)

Waiting on the prez By Cullen Thomas
After dinner, after the dignitaries had left, a guy in a blue suit came back to the kitchen -- a Texan named George. (12/05/2001)

Not Bing's thing By Amy Reiter
Hurley's ex gets tacky; Tom Cruise: "Never has been homosexual"; "Sex and the City" star mixed up about sex! (12/05/2001)

Baghdad nightmare By Laura Rozen
They're accused of being war-crazed fanatics. But the elite group calling for Saddam's destruction is driven by a deep sense of mission -- one now shared by President Bush. (12/05/2001)

The weak case for military tribunals By Jake Tapper
The White House -- and Time, the New Republic and the National Review -- say dangerous information has leaked from the courts. Like what? (12/05/2001)

The ArginMax effect By Michael Castleman
A recent Stanford study shows a dietary supplement can boost some women's sex drive. (12/05/2001)

The strange saga of Yahoo and WebRing By Katharine Mieszkowski
The sad tale of a hip little software program for linking Web sites together that was swallowed by by a once-hip behemoth -- then crashed and burned. (12/05/2001)

Internet optimism lives! By Katharine Mieszkowski
At a conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first U.S. Web page, even the dot-com bust doesn't ruin the party. (12/05/2001)

"The Fluffer" By Charles Taylor
Stay away from this cautionary tale about the gay porn industry -- it blows. (12/04/2001)

"Waking Life" By Stephanie Zacharek
Adults love cartoons for their colors, their energy and their musical movement. Here's one that doesn't devolve into adolescent foolishness. (12/04/2001)

"I'm A Stranger Here Myself"
Listen to humorist and bestselling author Bill Bryson's account of coming back to the U.S. after living in Britain for two decades. (12/04/2001)

Executioner's song By Paul Festa
The ravaged lives of two men hired to pull the switch testify to the hidden costs of America's death penalty. (12/04/2001)

Story Minute By Carol Lay
Winning one for America. (12/04/2001)

Everything falls By Jill Ketterer
My father is a burning martyr scratching his balls as I condemn him for his sin. (12/04/2001)

Not the time to cry censorship By Trevor Butterworth
Of course the public wants the Pentagon to censor journalists. And the media should try to understand why. (12/04/2001)

The Arafat question By Flore de Préneuf
As angry Israelis call for the removal of the Palestinian leader, others caution that the alternative would be far worse. (12/04/2001)

"Ultimately, there isn't a military solution" By Gary Kamiya
An American expert on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis says that a political solution must be reached -- but he isn't optimistic. (12/04/2001)

Pat Buchanan: America first By Jake Tapper
The commentator and former presidential candidate talks about Bush, bin Laden, Saddam, Arafat, Sharon -- and when and where the U.S. should draw a line in the sand. (12/04/2001)

Oh, craps ... By Amy Reiter
Looks can't save Clooney and Damon in Vegas; McKellen admits to humanitarian motel vandalism; Samuel Jackson discusses the contents of his kilt. (12/04/2001)

Afraid of being hurt again By Cary Tennis
Look for a man who has reached the "no bullshit" stage, where they accept who they are and the way life is. (12/04/2001)

The return of Lord British By Wagner James Au
Banished from his own Ultima domains, game designer Richard Garriott is making a comeback, via Korea. (12/04/2001)

My Britney problem -- and yours By Jim DeRogatis
The father of a 5-year-old gets lost in a world of slutty virgins, massive makeup cases and frighteningly accurate anatomically correct dolls. (12/03/2001)

And life flows on By Ira Robbins
Rather than exploit his fame, George Harrison held fast to his convictions -- and complained about the taxes. (12/03/2001)

"A Woman Soldier's Own Story" by Xie Bingying By Janelle Brown
An autobiography of a rebellious Chinese girl who kicked off her footbindings and an arranged marriage to join the army is available in English for the first time. (12/03/2001)

Salon recommends
A collection of sideshow spectacles, a gritty tale of the boxing gym scene and more. (12/03/2001)

This Modern World By Tom Tomorrow
Academic subversives: Watch out, America -- they're everywhere! (12/03/2001)

Any day now By Janelle Brown
Afghan women hope to use the momentum of international recognition to secure civil rights and a role in government. (12/03/2001)

"America the Scapegoat"
By Meera Atkinson (12/03/2001)

Out of Afghanistan By Phillip Robertson
After witnessing the fall of Kunduz and seeing the dead body of one of his colleagues, our Afghanistan correspondent tries to get out of the country. (12/03/2001)

Enron and the case for campaign finance reform By Arianna Huffington
As Bush's buddies file for Chapter 11, the debacle has exposed the unseemly link between money and political influence. (12/03/2001)

Living jokes and Arab conspiracies
Readers respond to Salon's Larry Flynt interview, and articles on urban legends and Meg Whitman. (12/03/2001)

Sounds shady to Slim's ex By Amy Reiter
Kim Mathers said to be mad about Eminem-Basinger rumors; Helena Bonham Carter regrets nude scene. Plus: Bombs away: Mariah off to Kosovo for our boys in uniform! (12/03/2001)

Without you By Stephanie Zacharek
George Harrison could be surly and cantankerous, but without him the Beatles would never have been themselves. (12/01/2001)

George Harrison and the Concert for Bangladesh By Bill McKibben
He knew what he should do and he went out and did it. The result was the first, and perhaps the greatest, concert-for-a-cause ever staged. (12/01/2001)

He was in the band By Gary Kamiya
George Harrison didn't do anything except bring to every Beatles song exactly what it needed. (12/01/2001)