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January 20, 2013 Leonard Michaels' Sylvia, an account of a violent and tumultuous love affair, began as an autobiographical essay and then grew into a novel. Author Sarah Manguso writes that despite all of its particularities, the story could really be about anyone. What are some novels that you can relate to?

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January 20, 2013 French troops are fighting Islamist militants who have taken control of Mali's vast north and are advancing toward the capital city. Patrick Chappatte decries the destruction of religious sites by militants, while Emad Hajjaj sees France's intervention as a proxy for U.S. interests.

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January 19, 2013 With candy bars or a pack of gum costing a dollar or more these days, perhaps it's time to get rid of pennies and nickels altogether. The problem, NPR's Scott Simon says, is picking which historic profiles should get the boot.

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January 19, 2013 After being deployed to Iraq in 2003, Spc. Lance Pilgrim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. His panic attacks led him to become dependent on pain medication, and he accidentally overdosed in 2007. His parents share their son's struggle to leave the war behind.

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January 19, 2013 Here's a new way to think about global warming. An interactive map plots how temperatures have changed in any region on the planet since the early 1950s.

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January 19, 2013 Today is Gun Appreciation Day, and both sides of the gun debate have accused the other of exploiting children to make their point. Pat Bagley takes on the NRA commercial attacking the President because his daughters are guarded, while Mike Lester knocks Mr. Obama for making his gun violence proposals while flanked by kids.

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January 18, 2013 The fact is: we find it easy to attribute mind to what looks and acts like a human being and we find it almost impossible to attribute mind to what does not.

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January 18, 2013 Since the cyclist admitted to doping, he has been likened by many news agencies to a hero from Greek tragedy. The ancient Greeks themselves, however, would probably disagree.

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January 18, 2013 In his interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong admitted to doping throughout much of his cycling career. Mike Luckovich questions the cyclist's motives and candor, while David Fitzsimmons thinks Armstrong's confession will have little impact where it really counts.

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January 18, 2013 A big boxing match usually features two guys, thick with muscle, who know how to bob, weave and use their fists. This bout has two fighters who can't make fists because they don't have hands. What they have are necks. Long necks.

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January 17, 2013 In his new book, Jared Diamond explores how hunters and gatherers, herders and farmers live in small-scale societies — and urges the rest of us to learn from their practices. Commentator Barbara J. King ponders why the book is making her tribe — anthropologists — so mad.

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January 17, 2013 President Obama has unveiled a list of executive actions to curb gun violence. Lisa Benson sees it as a direct assault on the Second Amendment, while Jimmy Margulies thinks congressional opposition to gun control legislation leaves the president with little choice.

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January 16, 2013 If you are up in space looking down on America west of the Mississippi, one of the brightest patches of light at night is on the Great Plains in North Dakota. It's not a city, not a town, not a military installation. What is it?

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January 16, 2013 I found liberation on the shelves and my favorite technical bookstore, an adventure that has everything in common with all the other kinds of geekdom, nerdisms and obsession that can — and should — unite us all.

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