BRIEFLY . . .

Don’t call it “A Critique of America” anymore. The oversized magazine spotlighting very serious epic-type essays on a variety of subjects is changing its name to Arete (pronounced R-eh-tay) Magazine with the August/September issue. The new name won’t help the publication’s pompous image, but it will “allow our contributions and discussions to be considered in a more positive light and to allow our magazine a broader range of topics,” magazine spokeswoman Bonnie Mills said.