Innovation

It’s part of the storyteller’s art to reveal a single defining moment in a character’s life, the inflection point at which the reader gains some insight into what makes the person tick. Huck escapes from his father and sets off down the river. Lear banishes Cordelia. Bogart reaches into his jacket pocket and gives Bergman the papers.

In the literature of politics, handlers and imagemakers try to define their candidates in simple primary colors: bold or strong or decisive. Candidates are selling themselves, and they want to create an image that will make us not only like them but also want to vote for them. Yet the vote for a President is the most intimate vote we ever make, and we all want to understand what’s in the heart of the person we’re voting for.

That’s why we decided to add a new feature to our political coverage: the Defining Moment. In a series of biographical pieces on the major candidates, we identify a pivotal event in their personal or political life and explore how it altered them forever. We begin this week with Karen Tumulty’s look at how Mitt Romney, as Massachusetts Governor, applied his businessman’s mind to the seemingly intractable problem of health care and devised a plan to insure all his state’s citizens–an achievement he now downplays to conservative audiences.

Also be sure to check out the new Politics page in our Briefing section. There, you’ll find a quick look at the latest news from the 2008 race and special features like the God-o-Meter–our partnership with Beliefnet.com–which tracks the use and abuse of religious rhetoric on the campaign trail. As the candidates lurch toward the ultimate defining moment of Election Day, we’ll be there every step of the way.

The Best Inventions

EACH FALL WE SORT THROUGH THE YEAR’S new gadgets to pick the coolest stuff from the most innovative minds in the world. This year we chose the iPhone as Invention of the Year, not merely for its revolutionary design and functionality but for how it will shape the future of communications. You’ll also read about a motorcycle that flies, an umbrella that actually keeps your backside dry, an automatic-transmission bicycle and stilettos with collapsible heels.

Lev Grossman wrote the iPhone story and edited the entire package. Anita Hamilton and Maryanne Murray Buechner wrote many of the articles, Andrea Dorfman kept everything organized, and Belinda Luscombe explains what Warren Buffett has to do with the future of undergarments. Finally, deputy art director D.W. Pine and photo editor Jay Colton gave the section its sleek look–as Apple has proved, when you’re dealing with complex technology, you can’t overestimate the importance of good, clean design.

Richard Stengel, Managing Editor