Neko Case's artful, carefully crafted folk-country has usually been easier to admire than really enjoy. Her albums tend toward the polite and poetic despite her having some of the most powerful pipes around. Listening to Case is a bit like watching a muscle car stuck in a school zone. ...more

March 19, 2009

The Heartland Idol qualifying round Thursday featured cute kids, a wide variety of tunes and singers, judges who were frank, but polite, and a crowd loving it all. ...more

September 13, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged a greater role for religion in European society but cautioned against fanaticism as he met Friday with political, Jewish and Muslim leaders in his first papal visit to France. ...more

September 13, 2008

There's almost no way to write about The Hold Steady without mentioning Bruce Springsteen, and probably no reason to try, either. Lead signer Craig Finn's phrasing is straight out of E Street, and his knack for creating beautiful losers to populate his lyrics smacks of Springsteen's earlier, wordier work. ...more

July 17, 2008

Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton came to this tiny town on Friday for their first public appearance after a bitter primary fight. Less certain was whether Unity would come to them. ...more

June 28, 2008

Readers expecting a one-sided, "black athletes are being exploited" rant from Newsday sports columnist Shaun Powell will be disappointed. Those looking for challenging dialogue and insight will be pleased. ...more

January 10, 2008

Much of the joy of reading an author like Gabriel Garcia Marquez is allowing yourself to become engrossed in his florid phrasing and vivid descriptions, that he's taking you to a fully realized place, and that you're succumbing, gladly. ...more

November 15, 2007

Some voters and officials are irritated at Circuit Judge Charles A. Francis for standing in the way of lower property taxes. He ruled that the wording of a proposed constitutional amendment is so misleading that it cannot go as written on the January ballot. ...more

September 28, 2007