Books & the Arts
The Magic of Reading Bernard Malamud The Magic of Reading Bernard Malamud
His work, unlike that of Bellow or Roth, focused on the lives of often impoverished Jews in Brooklyn and the Bronx and bestowed on them a literary magic.
The Unanswered Questions of “True Detective” The Unanswered Questions of “True Detective”
Like a Raymond Chandler detective story, Night Country ultimately wants to turn its audience’s attention away from the mysteries of the dead toward those of the living.
What Happened to the Democratic Majority? What Happened to the Democratic Majority?
Today the march of class dealignment feels like an inexorable fact of American political life. But is it?
The Genius of Nuri Bilge Ceylan The Genius of Nuri Bilge Ceylan
About Dry Grasses is long, dense, elliptical—and brilliant.
From the Magazine
How Did Americans Come to Love “Mid-Century Modern”? How Did Americans Come to Love “Mid-Century Modern”?
Solving the riddle of America’s obsession with postwar design and furniture.
Isabella Hammad’s Novel of Art and Exile in Palestine Isabella Hammad’s Novel of Art and Exile in Palestine
Enter the Ghost looks at a group of Palestinians who try to put on a production of Hamlet in the occupied West Bank.
The First Time the Nazis Tried to Take Power The First Time the Nazis Tried to Take Power
The year that broke Germany.
Literary Criticism
Don DeLillo’s Cold Wars Don DeLillo’s Cold Wars
His 1980s novels take the story of America’s postwar years, usually seen as a triumphal rise to perpetual dominance, and converts it into one about a long and chaotic decline.
The Enigmatic Science Fiction of Djuna The Enigmatic Science Fiction of Djuna
The radical visions of South Korea’s mononymous, pseudonymous, and officially anonymous sci-fi novelist and film critic.
The Latin School Teacher Who Made Classics Popular The Latin School Teacher Who Made Classics Popular
A new biography of Edith Hamilton tells the story of how and why ancient literature became widely read in the United States.
History & Politics
Liberties: A Magazine in Revolt Against the New Liberties: A Magazine in Revolt Against the New
Tolerance, rigor, open-mindedness, and a willingness to countenance doubt and contradiction apparently are all values the magazine champions in theory but tends to ignore in pract…
Naomi Klein’s Quest to Understand Her Double Naomi Klein’s Quest to Understand Her Double
In her new book, a case of mistaken identity reveals how life online and off has become more and more polarized.
How Did Marxism Become Marxism? How Did Marxism Become Marxism?
A new book examines a set of thinkers and activists who helped transform a set of radical ideas into a political tradition.
Art & Architecture
The Curious Case of the Transcendental Painting Group The Curious Case of the Transcendental Painting Group
A touring exhibition of 20th-century painting from the American Southwest is poised to be the next big art world hit. Yet the show forces us to ask: What is fueling the revival?
What’s the Matter With Contemporary Architecture? What’s the Matter With Contemporary Architecture?
In his new book, Reinier de Graaf attempts to work out why his profession appears to be at an impasse.
“The Subject of Painting Is Paint”: On Frank Bowling “The Subject of Painting Is Paint”: On Frank Bowling
The British artist’s work challenges all notions you might have about the relationship between politics and aesthetics.
Film & Television
Steve McQueen and Jonathan Glazer Confront the Holocaust Steve McQueen and Jonathan Glazer Confront the Holocaust
In Zones of Interest and Occupied City, the two filmmakers attempt to depict the ordinary fascism and everyday violence of World War II.
History According to Ridley Scott History According to Ridley Scott
Ultimately what we learn in Napoleon says far more about the director than it does about Napoleon.
The Uncanny Façades of “May December” The Uncanny Façades of “May December”
Todd Haynes’s discomfiting and hypnotic suburban melodrama examines topics the director knows well: sex, taboo, and control.
Latest in Books & the Arts
Fables of the Lone Star Liberal Fables of the Lone Star Liberal
A HBO documentary series helmed by Lawrence Wright unknowingly paints a picture of a state incapable of understanding how radically it has changed since its hard-right turn.
Mar 27, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Sam Russek
The Odd Couples of “Drive-Away Dolls” The Odd Couples of “Drive-Away Dolls”
Ethan Coen’s horny homage to American film history’s many strains of queer comedy highlights the collaborative aspect inherent in his project as a director.
Mar 26, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi
Radu Jude’s Wild and Caustic Films Radu Jude’s Wild and Caustic Films
His latest, Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, is a a digressive and transgressive movie of ideas about the social-media age.
Mar 25, 2024 / Books & the Arts / J. Hoberman
At Mathias Énard’s Table At Mathias Énard’s Table
Set between the 16th and 22nd centuries, The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild is a work of political comedy, fixated on class, climate, food, wine, and the afterlife.
Mar 25, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Dustin Illingworth
The Visions of Alice Coltrane The Visions of Alice Coltrane
In the years after her husband John’s death, the harpist discovered a sound all her own, a jazz rooted in acts of spirit and will.
Mar 21, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Marcus J. Moore
The Problematic Past, Present, and Future of Inequality Studies The Problematic Past, Present, and Future of Inequality Studies
Branko Milanović’s century-spanning intellectual history of inequality in economic theory reveals the ideological reasons behind the field’s resurgence in the last few decades.
Mar 20, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins