It isn't that Junot Diaz is the only contemporary author with literary aspirations who mashes high and low culture into an entertaining mix. It's the fact he does it so well, and also, yes, the fact he was born in the Dominican Republic and now lives in the United States, which gives him a very different set of cultural references than, say, fellow mashers Michael Chabon or Dave Eggers. ...more

October 12, 2007

Guards working for an Australian-owned security company fired on a car as it approached their convoy Tuesday, killing two female civilians before speeding away from the latest bloodshed blamed on the deadly mix of heavily armed protection details on Baghdad's crowded streets. ...more

October 10, 2007

A bus collided with a train in eastern Cuba, killing at least 28 people and injuring another 73, including 15 in critical condition, state media reported Sunday. ...more

October 8, 2007