Nell Zink’s California Nell Zink’s California
There is Hollywood, there are lights, but only the rich are allowed to enjoy them.
Dec 13, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Alana Pockros
How Sister Souljah Went From Radical Activist to Scapegoat to Blockbuster Novelist How Sister Souljah Went From Radical Activist to Scapegoat to Blockbuster Novelist
After Bill Clinton used her to catapult himself to the presidency, the activist Souljah was sidelined. But the novelist Souljah continued to produce work that spoke to millions.
Dec 13, 2022 / Feature / Dani McClain
The Birth of a New Brand of Exercise Fetish The Birth of a New Brand of Exercise Fetish
From Bikram yoga to Tae Bo, the 1990s exploded with exoticized consumer fitness products.
Dec 13, 2022 / Feature / Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Congo: Curriculum Vitae (excerpt) Congo: Curriculum Vitae (excerpt)
[When one of us goes] When one of us goes to the other world, we gather and weep so that the ocean of our tears may take the deceased to their final resting place. [The path of lif…
Dec 13, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Alain Mabanckou
AI Comes for the Writers AI Comes for the Writers
It's long been assumed that truck drivers' jobs would be first on the chopping block. Not anymore.
Dec 12, 2022 / McCaffrey Blauner
Trumpism Was Born in the ’90s Trumpism Was Born in the ’90s
Clintonian centrism allowed the radical right to incubate.
The Rise and Fall of the Mall The Rise and Fall of the Mall
Alexandra Lange's Meet Me by the Fountain recovers the forgotten past and the still hopeful future of the American shopping mall.
Dec 12, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Melvin Backman
The 1990s Were Meant to Be the End of History—Instead They Birthed the Future The 1990s Were Meant to Be the End of History—Instead They Birthed the Future
Welcome to The Nation’s '90s issue, a heady romp through the decade that set the stage for the present moment.
Dec 12, 2022 / Lizzy Ratner, Regina Mahone, Ludwig Hurtado, and Alana Pockros
How the Left Was Lost in the 1990s—but Found Its Way Again How the Left Was Lost in the 1990s—but Found Its Way Again
In the 1990s, the left was embattled and diminished. But it kept the flame burning just enough for a new generation to come along and give it oxygen.
Dec 12, 2022 / Feature / Naomi Klein
How Food Became a Weapon in the Right’s Culture Wars How Food Became a Weapon in the Right’s Culture Wars
First came the politics of right-wing grievance. Then came the new foodie culture. Together, they combined to create one toxic food fight.
Dec 12, 2022 / Feature / Brent Cunningham