Nation Topics - Biography | The Nation

In Henry James and his family, biographers find a fascinating story of dynastic melodrama.

The biography of Joschka Fischer tells the story of postwar Germany.

They just don't make women politicians like Bella Abzug anymore.

Nureyev: The Life brings new focus to an iconic figure of modern ballet.

Ben Ratliff's not-quite biography of John Coltrane considers the jazz legend's enduring influence.

Reconsidering the life and legacy of avant-garde artist and poet Francis Picabia.

Martin Duberman's biography of Lincoln Kirstein is a case study of the relationship between art and power.

A biography of Gertrude Bell investigates the woman who created Iraq out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.

A new biography describes how Edith Wharton transformed her obsessions into stories of loss, regret and entrapment.

Ralph Ellison was eager to be counted in any political cause--except those surrounding race.