Newspapers, Magazines

What it takes to get a picture of events:

1. The New York Times, home delivery. Was close to canceling but the editorials are pointing more fingers at all three branches of the government. Bill Keller is a disaster as editor, and David Brooks and Maureen Dowd need to quit their day jobs. Bob Herbert and Paul Krugman are delights. Not to forget the near poetry of Verlyn Klinkenborg's visions of country life.

2. The Guardian, on line. A smashing Brit daily with good global news coverage, more nuanced and greater depth. Better coverage of American politics than any American paper. Excellent coverage of books.

3. The Washington Post, on line. Growing cranky and crotchety, seeming to stumble over themselves in support of the incumbents. Best book review in America.

4. The Los Angeles Times, in the abandoned basket at Peet's Coffee and Tea. Some lovely political reporting, but clearly having its hedges clipped by a management looking to cut costs and find ways to up sales.

5. The New York Review of Books. A left-leaning, semi-elite critical path that is not afraid to allow its hand-picked authors to go on at some length.

6. The London Review of Books. A ditto although managerially unrelated clone of NYRB, some lengthy discussions of biography, memoir, political, and some fiction. Stunning classified adverts.

7. TLS, the venerable Times (of London) Literary Supplement. Lovely, idiosyncratic, and slightly snobbish reviews written atleisure. Great range of subjects.

8. Financial Times. A splendid, reliable daily with a worldwide news coverage, a sensibly conservative editorial slant, and a more realistic way of seeing ourselves as the rest of the world sees us.

9. The Economist, simply the best weekly news and opinion magazine in the Western world.

10. The Georgia Review. Lovely lit journal, occasionally good fiction, better than average photo art, fine art, and drawings.

11. Sewanee Review. All type, no illos, nevertheless well edited text trumps many less conservative publications by using material that is unquestioningly beautiful.

12. The Virginia Quarterly Review. Strong fiction,strong reviews, occasionally strong political coverage, art features from negligible to sublime.