A recent article in the New York Times pondered that constant buzzing question, are Americans willfully stupid? Though it may seem asking this question is a favorite pastime of the popular rag, a recent profile on a bevy of books on the subject argues Americans are less willfully stupid than they are openly hostile towards the smarty-pantses of the nation. Author Susan Jacoby, whose book The Age of Unreason came out last week, says she......

Rescue Dawn is screening at several theaters in the area. Check the Brattle calendar for showtimes ofThe Mystery of Kaspar Hauser and Aguirre, the Wrath of God. The last two movies run through Monday. In a recent post, we suggested that summer wasn't the right time for heavy film fare. But Boston won't be able to ignore the physically and mentally demanding work of Werner Herzog, whose movies old and new are showing throughout the......

Michael Beschloss will read from Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989 tomorrow, Tuesday, June 19, at 6:00 pm at Coolidge Corner Theatre. Tickets are $5 and available at Brookline Booksmith. When a president dies, who are the networks gonna call? Historian and brainy talking head Michael Beschloss. Beschloss' latest book evaluates the moments when a president made a lonely, unpopular, and ultimately correct choice. Many of the leaders we admire were......

The Hoax could have been a terrific movie. Whether or not you know anything about Howard "The Aviator" Hughes or Clifford Irving, the man who tried to pass off a fake autobiography of Hughes, the plot is riveting and familiar. In the light of recent publishing and journalism faux-pas, ranging from Jayson Blair to the sudden squelching of OJ Simpson's "confession," Clifford Irving's desperate drive for fame makes sense. Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving,......

Norman Mailer will read from The Castle in the Forest at the Congregational United Church of Christ. For tickets, visit Harvard Book Store or call 617-661-1515. Tickets are still available according to the website. UPDATE: This event has been sold out. However, the pleasant person we spoke with at the Harvard Book Store said that, if you're really amped up about the reading, you can arrive at the church early, and they'll place you in......