Kyle Paoletta

Kyle Paoletta is a contributing writer at Columbia Journalism Review and the author of American Oasis: Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest.

Troy Jackson, Democratic US Senate candidate for Maine, speaks during the Maine Democratic Party special state convention in Bangor, Maine, on July 25, 2026.

The Logger Who Could Unseat Susan Collins The Logger Who Could Unseat Susan Collins

How Troy Jackson rose from wildcat striker to Democratic Senate nominee.

Jul 28, 2026 / Kyle Paoletta

Troy Jackson

How Troy Jackson Became the Heir to Graham Platner’s Movement How Troy Jackson Became the Heir to Graham Platner’s Movement

This weekend, Democrats in Maine overwhelmingly showed that they believe the former logger and longtime state senator can dethrone GOP Senator Susan Collins.

Jul 21, 2026 / Kyle Paoletta

Louis Marcoussis, “Le Lecteur,” 1937.

The Rise of the Sensitivity Reader The Rise of the Sensitivity Reader

Adam Szetela’s That Book Is Dangerous! examines the emergence of a new job in publishing—secondary readers who comb through books for possible offenses.

May 27, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta

The State Theatre in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, 2021 / A.S. Hamrah

Is It Too Late to Save Hollywood? Is It Too Late to Save Hollywood?

A conversation with A.S. Hamrah about the dispiriting state of the movie business in the post-Covid era.

Feb 4, 2026 / Q&A / Kyle Paoletta

Swimmers in the Rio Grande River, 2007.

The Story of America Can Be Found on the Banks of the Rio Grande The Story of America Can Be Found on the Banks of the Rio Grande

Richard Parker’s love letter to El Paso, The Crossing, argues that the Texas city can illustrate the best and the worst of the nation’s history.

Aug 4, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta

US and Mexican immigrant rights activists march through the Arizona desert to draw attention to unjust immigration policies.

What the Birth of the Sanctuary Movement Teaches Us Today What the Birth of the Sanctuary Movement Teaches Us Today

The birth of the sanctuary movement some 45 years ago can teach us a lot about how to respond to today’s attacks on immigrants.

Apr 10, 2025 / Kyle Paoletta

President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, 2019.

The Rise and Fall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe The Rise and Fall of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

How a movie studio and its head honcho redefined moviemaking for the worst.

Jul 11, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta

The Toxic History of the Salton Sea

The Toxic History of the Salton Sea The Toxic History of the Salton Sea

A new book by Traci Brynne Voyles catalogs the alarming events that created one of the West’s most polluted bodies of water.

Aug 10, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta

The New York Times Book Review at a Crossroads

The New York Times Book Review at a Crossroads The New York Times Book Review at a Crossroads

What does the future hold for one of United States’ oldest literary institutions?

Apr 21, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta

Shrinking the Economy to Save the World

Shrinking the Economy to Save the World Shrinking the Economy to Save the World

The degrowth movement argues that the only way toward an ecologically sustainable world is to redirect economies away from market imperatives.

Apr 11, 2022 / Feature / Kyle Paoletta

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