Biography

The author and his mother.

How My Grandmother Remembers the Nakba How My Grandmother Remembers the Nakba

In 1948, my family fled Palestine when Zionists took over. I pieced their story together from a box of letters and diary entries.

Oct 25, 2025 / Tareq Baconi

Walter Lippmann on the ocean liner Conte di Savoia.

Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics

Arguably no American journalist wielded as much influence as Walter Lippmann did in the 20th century. But what did he do with that power?

Oct 15, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Gerald Howard

The Triumphs and Travails of American Marxism

The Triumphs and Travails of American Marxism The Triumphs and Travails of American Marxism

Karl Marx never visited the United States, but he and his ideas left an imprint nonetheless.

Oct 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Robin Blackburn

James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love

James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love

While Baldwin was persecuted in part because of whom he loved, it was love that impelled him to bring about a more utopian future in which such persecution was not possible.

Sep 9, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Elias Rodriques

William F. Buckley Jr.’s Friends and Enemies

William F. Buckley Jr.’s Friends and Enemies William F. Buckley Jr.’s Friends and Enemies

What was it about Buckley that made him so attractive to liberals—and what was it about liberals that caused them to be attracted to conservative figures like Buckley in the first...

Sep 8, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Jeet Heer

Mark Twain’s Many Lives

Mark Twain’s Many Lives Mark Twain’s Many Lives

A new biography depicts the different sides of the American author.

Aug 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Adam Hochschild

James Schuyler in New York City, 1988.

The Miracles of James Schuyler The Miracles of James Schuyler

Nathan Kernan’s biography of the New York School poet tracks the development of his serene and joyful work alongside the chaos of his life.

Jul 7, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Evan Kindley

Reaping what they sowed: Biden and Harris at Trump’s inauguration.

The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up

The former president’s stubbornness and narcissism led to disastrous Trump victory.

May 16, 2025 / Jeet Heer

Andrée Blouin’s Revolutionary Lives

Andrée Blouin’s Revolutionary Lives Andrée Blouin’s Revolutionary Lives

The African political leader’s autobiography, My Country, Africa, also offers a larger story of empire, oppression, and resistance on the continent.

Mar 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Bill Fletcher Jr.

The Making of a Cold War Spy

The Making of a Cold War Spy The Making of a Cold War Spy

The life and work of Frank Wisner, one of the CIA’s founding officers, offers us a portrait of American intelligence’s excesses.

Mar 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Adam Hochschild

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