Washington Eyes

Washington's Hidden History

Fred Litwin | Quillette | 31st May 2022

Action-packed review of Jamie Kirchick's book, Secret City, about the lives of gay American politicians and bureaucrats trying to hold on to their jobs when "the government they served was trying to root them out". Some 7,000-10,000 federal employees were fired for homosexuality in the 1950s alone when Eisenhower ordered all agencies to vet all staff for signs of "sexual perversion" (2,360 words)

Eye Contact Between Musicians

Ariane Todes | Classical Music | 27th May 2022

Notes on the uses of eye-contact among players and conductors. Sure to add interest when you next go to an orchestral concert. Most conductors like to make eye contact with individual players every now and again; most players, especially soloists, tend not to like it. An "eyes-down", a collective refusal to look up at a conductor, is "the most damning weapon an orchestra can use" (1,970 words)

When one is averting one's eyes
A read is a useful disguise.
With top picks each day
You can hide eyes away
Inside pages both ageless and wise.