Kurt Andersen speaks with a poet who is translating new poems coming out of wartime Syria. Alfonso Cuarn explains why the astounding special effects in his new film Gravity take second place to Sandra Bullock’s performance as an untethered astronaut. In American Icons, we look at Cindy Sherman’s remarkable faux film stills that predicted the selfie as we know it. And Bill Callahan sings us to sleep with songs from his new record Dream River.