U.S. Hispanics are not—most of them, anyway—laying claim to a united territory. It may therefore be objected that Hispanics cannot become a “nation” because they have neither a flag nor a land to fly it over. And if they did, where would it be? A secessionist chunk of the American Southwest? East Harlem? Miami?

Art? What is it and what’s it for? These eternal questions kept coming up on our very artsy visit to London last week, where we took in:   Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam at the British Museum; Dickens & London at the Museum of London; the play “The Pitmen Painters” at the Duchess Theatre on Drury Lane, and even a visit to ancient Stonehenge. (2012/02/27)