Writers on Obama

At such a time, it makes sense to turn to writers. As contrarians, they are comfortable balancing opposing principles and conflicting ideas. In some sense, this is part of the appeal of Obama, who is, among other things, a writer and, as such, familiar with nuance and ambiguity. ... Susan Straight and Rubén Martínez write, respectively, on race and representation, which have been changed (or complicated) irrevocably by the promise of an Obama presidency. Jane Smiley and Rebecca Solnit write about the political responsibilities of the writer, each touching, in her own way, on how the last eight years have made possible the change Obama represents. Ben Ehrenreich offers up a pointed bit of satire. And Ted Widmer presents a capsule history of presidents and culture, suggesting that it is sometimes the least expected chief executive who has the greatest effect.