Notable Things

Scott McLemee,"Aiming the Can(n)on," Inside Higher Ed, 21 December, rethinks the notion of"a literary canon" by looking at the work of Lu Xun.

Louis Menand,"All That Glitters: Literature's Global Economy," New Yorker, 26 December, argues that prizes for literature have proliferated in order that we might disdain them. If you insist, I can quickly recount for you the prizes won, but I glory in all the prizes that I have not won. Thanks to Alfredo Perez at Political Theory Daily Review for the tip.

Do you share my sense that several wheels are aboutto come off in Washington?

Mr. Sun's Defribulation Grants in 2006 will go to"dead or dying social phenomena deserving of life." The first winner of the year is the powdered wig. I have no idea how he anticipated that the first order of business at the Cliopatricians' Third Annual Banquet is whether powdered wigs should remain optional or be made mandatory for official functions. [ed.: er, at least one of us could use the coverage.] In any case, on behalf of my colleagues, I'm happy to receive Cliopatria's first major grant from Mr. Sun. He will want to give us many more!