A. Barton Hinkle on What He Got Wrong in 2011

"If progress is defined as making the same mistake less often, or making new mistakes of a higher caliber," writes A. Barton Hinkle, "then by that one narrow measure this column was slightly better than it was last year. Or at least slightly less awful. A review of the past 12 months' output turns up only a couple of real wincers."