Leon Krauze at PostGlobal

Leon Krauze

Mexico

Leon Krauze is a Mexican blogger and a founder of letraslibres.com. Close.

Leon Krauze

Mexico

Leon Krauze is a Mexican blogger and a founder of letraslibres.com. more »

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After 9/11, I Pick Analysis Over Drama

Mexico City, Mexico - [Pick: The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind] It certainly isn't light summer reading. But I tend to agree with Ian McEwan, who, after what happened in New York and Washington, decided that pure fiction was no longer entirely appropriate. This world of ours begs to be understood rather that dramatized.

Suskind's honest - sometimes even brutal - account of American foreign policy after 9/11 is indispensable for an understanding of how the world has worked for the last few years.

In any case, if the reader can't bear too much reality, allow me to share the other book I've been returning to for a while now: the complete poems of Yehuda Amichai. Amichai was a tender and lyrical poet, full of surprising and original imagery. The Israel that emerges from his poetry is the best one: a scarred but hopeful place. That is not such a bad message for times like these.

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Comments (3)

Brian:

I read 1% Doctrine and agree that it is honestly brutal. It has outstanding insight into the Bush Administration. Also, following this book, I recommend fiction and/or poetry for the rinse cycle.

Crusty:

I can't say I "enjoyed" 1%, but it certainly presents a context for comprehensionof current events which seem vague and uncertain to say the least. Comparing to Ricks book, "Fiasco" it seems an "apology" for George Tenet. Regarding previous post I found the brutally honest insight frightening--how could things become so insular?

Darrin Meacham:

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