Books & the Arts

Edward Hopper, “Seven A.M.”

Solvej Balle and the Tyranny of Time Solvej Balle and the Tyranny of Time

The Danish novelist’s septology, On the Calculation of Volume, asks what fiction can explore when you remove one of its key characteristics—the idea of time itself.

Dec 4, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Dilara O’Neil

Italian painter Primo Conti drawing from life a portrait of Italian writer and dramatist Luigi Pirandello. Italy, 1920s.

Luigi Pirandello’s Broken Men Luigi Pirandello’s Broken Men

The Nobel Prize-winning writer was once seen as Italy’s great man of letters. Why was he forgotten?

Dec 2, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Gus O’Connor

Donald Trump holds a big and a small box of Tic Tac to illustrate inflation outcome during a town hall event at Dream City Church in Phoenix, Arizona, on 2024.

Making Sense of Inflation Making Sense of Inflation

The economic force is often seen as a barometer for a nation's mood and health. But have we misunderstood it all along?

Dec 1, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Sam Stark

The Sydney Swans in action.

The Inexplicable Logic of Contact Sports The Inexplicable Logic of Contact Sports

In The Season, Helen Garner considers the zeal and irrationality of fandom and her country’s favorite pastime, Australian rules football.

Nov 26, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Mikaela Dery

Richard Siken

The Return of Richard Siken The Return of Richard Siken

After achieving a rare crossover hit with 2005’s Crush, the poet rebelled against public attention. With I Do Know Some Things, he splays himself open for his readers.

Nov 25, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Yvonne Kim

A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering 

A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering  A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering 

Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is at once harrowing and mesmerizing.

Nov 24, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Beatrice Loayza

Can We Blame Private Equity for Everything?

Can We Blame Private Equity for Everything? Can We Blame Private Equity for Everything?

Did PE firms make the world worse? Or was it something else?

Nov 20, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Brett Christophers

A group welcomes Angelo Herndon to New York after his release on bail from the Georgia State Prison.

Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech

The story ofhis landmark case reminds us of how powerful a popular front of socialists and liberals can be in protecting our civil liberties.

Nov 17, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Randall Kennedy

A still from “After the Hunt.”

The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”

Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.

Nov 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Lovia Gyarkye

Franz Kafka’s  Best Friend

Franz Kafka’s Best Friend Franz Kafka’s Best Friend

Kafka’s late story about a philosopher dog, like most of his stories about animals, is really about our lost humanity.

Nov 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Jonathan Lethem

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