The New York Times Magazine: Last Man Standing

Jim Mattis may be the last voice of caution in an increasingly volatile administration. Can he hold the line? View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. Friday, March 30, 2018 [The New York Times]( [NYTimes.com/magazine »]( [The New York Times]( Friday, March 30, 2018 [Can Jim Mattis, the Warrior Monk, Keep Trump From a War?]( By THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE [Robert F. Worth writes this week's cover story about the defense secretary who may be the only reliable voice of caution left in an administration inching closer to the brink.]( Robert F. Worth writes this week's cover story about the defense secretary who may be the only reliable voice of caution left in an administration inching closer to the brink. Mark Peterson/Redux, for The New York Times We’re shaking things up and making some changes to our weekly newsletter. Tell us what you think by emailing us at [magazine@nytimes.com](mailto:magazine@nytimes.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback%20NYT%20Mag). And thanks for reading. Dear Reader, I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve spent mine preparing for Passover, binge-watching (belatedly) the HBO John Adams miniseries, and marveling over the wide-ranging intelligence of contributing writer Robert F. Worth. Just a few weeks ago, Bobby’s story about the [Qatari falcon hunters who were kidnapped and ransomed]( in 2015 opened a fascinating window into the complex geopolitics of the Middle East. This week he’s back with an important Washington story,[a profile of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis]( the “warrior monk” whom many on the left dismissed as a warmonger during the Obama presidency, and who may now be the lone voice of caution in an increasingly bellicose administration. One interesting fact that emerges from Bobby’s reporting is that, contrary to the attitude implied by his “Mad Dog” nickname (which he hates), the defense secretary has been one of the strongest advocates for diplomacy, forging an alliance with now-purged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to try to rein in some of Trump’s more aggressive instincts. Bobby’s story adds a critical piece to our understanding of the dynamics of this always-shifting administration as it enters a critical new phase of foreign relations, with Russia, according to U.S. intelligence, already trying to meddle in our midterm elections and an unprecedented — and wildly unpredictable — possible sit-down with Kim Jong-un on the near horizon. There’s a lot more to enjoy in this week’s issue, some of which I’ve highlighted below. Onward, Jake Silverstein Editor in Chief [AUSTRALIA’S RECLUSIVE LITERARY GIANT:Â]( likely you’ve never heard of Gerald Murnane. The 79-year-old writer has lived in the remote town of Goroke, Victoria, for the last decade as a recluse. But he’s a literary cult figure, revered as the ultimate writers’ writer. This despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that Murnane is a serious eccentric who has never worn sunglasses or learned to swim; has never used a computer or cellphone or camera; and has written all his books on a manual typewriter using only the index finger of his right hand. Mark Binelli takes us on a fascinating journey into Murnane’s strange world. [CAMBODIA’S FLOATING WORLD:]( Last July, Ben Mauk traveled to Chong Koh, one of hundreds of floating villages spread across the Mekong waterways in Cambodia, to speak to a hidden, ethnically displaced Vietnamese population. The history of the villages is long and obscure, and no one knows when the first one appeared in Cambodia. But Mauk connects the dots between a politically tense history and the present-day conditions of the floating villagers. This story is accompanied by arresting photography and drone imagery from the river, vividly capturing the plight of those finding refuge upon water. [GLOBAL FRUITS:]( Some like their[ avocados with toast]( others might recommend an[ accompaniment of peas](. However you slice them — and please,[ watch your hands]( — your avocados more than likely come from Mexico. With Trump railing against Nafta as “the worst trade deal ever,” Brook Larmer holds up the avocado as a shining example of Nafta’s mutual benefit, including 19,000 jobs in the United States and more than $2.2 billion added to the gross national product. [THE THERAPIST CONNECTION:]( A question to The Ethicist this week concerns a husband and wife who see different therapists at the same facility. Can the wife write a letter to the husband’s therapist with her concerns about him? The Ethicist considers the value of useful information for treatment in his answer. [LAZY FANCY FOOD:]( The magic of the canelé, that legendary French pastry, is the contrast between its deeply caramelized crust and its tender, custardy center. The problem with these little delights that they’re very labor-intensive. In this week’s Eat column, Samin Nosrat gives us a simple alternative with a tropical flair: brown-butter mochi. Go ahead and try it. (And lest you underestimate the boldness of her recommendation, this morning Samin tweeted that right after the column posted online, “I got an email from a French woman saying she was so disgusted by my suggestion that butter mocha could resemble a canelé that she’s going to cancel her NYT subscription.” We stand by Samin’s reporting.) [AT WAR]( Last fall, we announced that we would be relaunching At War, the blog that existed on nytimes.com from 2009 to 2014. We decided to relaunch it because, with conflicts simmering around the globe, and American troops engaged in the longest war in the country’s history, we saw an acute need for this forum. The site is now up and running, and this week published an illuminating conversation between C.J. Chivers and Rania Abouzeid, author of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria,” about the cruelty of the Syrian war, and the strength of those who are living through it. [Lacey Baker Wants More Girls to Skate With]( Interview by MOLLY LAMBERT The professional skateboarder on breaking into the boys’ club. [Letter of Recommendation: Fatbergs]( By NICOLA TWILLEY A hideous collective self-portrait rendered in oil and wet wipes. [The Woman Was Fit and Healthy. Why Did Her Lung Mysteriously Collapse?]( By LISA SANDERS, M.D. She was having some difficulty breathing, but then things got much worse fast. [New Sentences: From ‘Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968’]( By SAM ANDERSON Ryan H. Walsh has a knack for connecting the mundanities of day-to-day history with the great and timeless moments that spring out of them. If you enjoy our newsletter forward this email to a friend and help the magazine grow. Getting this from a friend? [Sign up to get the magazine newsletter](. Let us know how we can improve at: [magazine@nytimes.com](mailto:magazine@nytimes.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback%20NYT%20Magazine) Check out our [full list of free newsletters]( including [Cooking:]( Daily inspiration, delicious recipes, and other updates from Sam Sifton and The New York Times, right to your inbox. ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's The New York Times Magazine newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company | 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018