Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? The sad truth about the CIA, the author, a former CIA case officer, writes, is that it has "for years been running an espionage charade in most countries, deceiving itself and others about the value of its recruited agents and intelligence production." by Edward G. Shirley In a companion article Robert D. Kaplan considers whether the Army should take on covert action.

Lincoln's Affair of Honor In September of 1842 Abraham Lincoln, then a rising young lawyer and politician, was challenged to a duel by a man he had ridiculed in print. Lincoln accepted. by Douglas L. Wilson A Few Hundred People Turned to Bone The scientific and human face of a rare illness that causes muscles, tendons, and ligaments to ossify relentlessly. by Thomas Maeder

 

Reports Notes & Comment: The Thread of Time Some have expressed doubts about Madeleine Albright's claim that until recently she was unaware of her family's Jewish heritage. The author, herself a wartime Jewish refugee, offers not doubts but a lesson in historical imagination. by Kitty La Perriere Astronomy: When Is a Planet Not a Planet? A move is afoot to demote Pluto to the status of an asteroid. The issue has sent some scientists into orbit. by David H. Freedman Personal File: A Means of Transport On an escalator in the Moscow subway, passengers make a rare descent into civility. by Jeffrey Tayler Fiction & Poetry All Things, All at Once A short story by Lee K. Abbott Among English Verbs A poem by Kay Ryan Falling Water A poem by Peter Davison Browse and search The Atlantic's online archive. The seahorse symbol indicates that an article is supplemented with additional Atlantic material, such as related articles, audio, or special online sidebars.		Arts & Leisure Travel: Inside Anatolia Turkey has become a hot destination, and the popularity of its coastal resorts is well known. That is all the more reason to consider visiting the country's vast and exotic interior. by Hatsy Shields Music: Not Singing Too Much Thinking of the pianist, singer, and lyricist Dave Frishberg as the Woody Allen of song captures only part of him. by Francis Davis Movies: A Star-Making Performance The actor Alan Rickman's finest role comes in the director Roger Spottiswoode's greatest movie, from one of Dennis Potter's oddest screenplays. by Lloyd Rose Books A Thriller With Something on Its Mind Night Train, by Martin Amis by Frank Kermode Brief Reviews by Phoebe-Lou Adams Other Departments 77 North Washington Street Contributors Letters (Send a letter to the editor.) The February Almanac The Puzzler by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon Word Improvisation by J. E. Lighter
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