Clinton Williamson

Clinton Williamson is a writer and literature scholar living in Houston. His work has appeared in The Baffler, Protean, and The New Inquiry, among other venues

A man walks past a statue of Charles de Gaulle, with a cardboard speech bubble reading “LONG LIVE THE FREE ZAD” as hundreds of opponents to the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport and ZAD activists gather to demand a collective management of the land planned for the airport’s construction, 2018.

Living and Learning in the Shadow of the Paris Commune Living and Learning in the Shadow of the Paris Commune

Kristin Ross’s The Commune Form traces a political tradition—based on reimagining class relations—that stretches from the 1871 uprising to the modern-day struggles of ZAD.

Apr 2, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

“The Siesta,” by Vincent van Gogh, 1889.

You Have “The Right to Be Lazy” You Have “The Right to Be Lazy”

Paul Lafargue's anti-work manifesto is newly relevant in a time when the very idea of labor is changing.

Nov 23, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically

The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically

Byung-Chul Han’s The Palliative Society tries to contextualize the emotional and cultural ramifications of Covid-19 without ever addressing its material consequences.

Feb 1, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

The Puzzle of Eco-Fiction

The Puzzle of Eco-Fiction The Puzzle of Eco-Fiction

George R. Stewart’s Storm gives us an ideal model for how to approach the narrative challenges of a story about climate catastrophe.

Dec 9, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

B. Traven: Fiction’s Forgotten Radical

B. Traven: Fiction’s Forgotten Radical B. Traven: Fiction’s Forgotten Radical

The enigmatic author’s anarcho-communist politics seep into his novels about wage labor, class consciousness, and the violence of capital. 

Apr 14, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

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