Books & the Arts
Brandon Taylor’s Sweeping Novel of Class and Campuses Brandon Taylor’s Sweeping Novel of Class and Campuses
The Late Americans works the way that university towns do. People move in, move out, move on—not everyone gets to meet, but everyone temporarily occupies the same spaces.
Walter Benjamin’s Radio Years Walter Benjamin’s Radio Years
After the faculty of philosophy in Frankfurt rejected his dissertation and dashed his hopes for an academic career, the Marxist critic found work as a radio broadcaster.
The Muddled Feminism of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” The Muddled Feminism of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”
In trying to say too much, the film winds up not saying much at all.
The Many Enigmas of Oppenheimer The Many Enigmas of Oppenheimer
In Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan neither indicts nor vindicates the physicist. Instead, he offers a study of a man full of contradictions.
From the Magazine
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.
When FDR Took On the Supreme Court When FDR Took On the Supreme Court
The standard narrative of Roosevelt’s court-packing efforts casts them as a failure. But what if they were a success?
The Long and Sometimes Lost History of Trans The Long and Sometimes Lost History of Trans
To borrow a phrase from the photographer and activist Samra Habib, “We have always been here”—or, at least, people somewhat like us have always been here.
Literary Criticism
The Disappearing Acts of Haruki Murakami The Disappearing Acts of Haruki Murakami
In his new book, the novelist examines what it takes to become a great writer.
Emma Cline’s Novel of Pool Parties and Class Conflict Emma Cline’s Novel of Pool Parties and Class Conflict
Full of suspense and subterfuge, The Guest turns a story about a summer on Long Island into a thriller about what it takes to survive.
The Lost Worlds of Anton Shammas’s “Arabesques” The Lost Worlds of Anton Shammas’s “Arabesques”
A new translation of the 1988 novel documents not only the loss and exile created by the Nakba but also the loss and exile created by occupation.
History & Politics
The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama
“The End of History?” was more than just commentary; it was an announcement of victory. And yet, nearly a quarter-century later, its author remains unsure if liberalism truly won.
C.L.R. James, Man of Paradox C.L.R. James, Man of Paradox
A new biography examines the revolutionary possibilities and radical contradictions at the heart of James’s life and ideas.
Jenny Odell’s Search for a New Kind of Time Jenny Odell’s Search for a New Kind of Time
Can we escape capitalism’s persistent and relentless demand that we turning our waking hours into products and profits?
Art & Architecture
The Many Ghosts of Juan de Pareja The Many Ghosts of Juan de Pareja
Through the life of the 17th-century artist, we can find an entangled history of slavery, Black figuration, and art.
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.
Film & Television
Is “Asteroid City” Wes Anderson’s Greatest Film? Is “Asteroid City” Wes Anderson’s Greatest Film?
In his latest film, Anderson asks us how art and storytelling give our lives meaning.
What Makes Special Effects Work? What Makes Special Effects Work?
In Empire of Effects, Julie Turnock examines how George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic transformed the way we make and view movies.
The Psychic Theater of Boots Riley The Psychic Theater of Boots Riley
Absurdist, darkly funny, I’m a Virgo tells a story of first love, capitalism’s surreal excesses, the contradictions of Black life, and how much politics a work of art can bear.
Latest in Books & the Arts
In the Country of the Blind In the Country of the Blind
A conversation with Andrew Leland about his provocative new book about vision loss, disability politics, and the ways in which blindness looms large in our cultural imagination.
Sep 21, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Rachel Kolb
Where Did the Juries Go? Where Did the Juries Go?
While jury trials might have afforded citizens the chance to witness—and even contest—the criminalization of the working class, plea bargains have allowed this criminalization to …
Sep 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Matthew Clair
James Purdy’s Chronicles of Outsiderdom James Purdy’s Chronicles of Outsiderdom
His fiction, which ranged from slapstick humor to sheer terror, fixated on the lives of those society discarded.
Sep 19, 2023 / Books & the Arts / John Lingan
Chantal Montellier’s Prescient Dystopias Chantal Montellier’s Prescient Dystopias
A new volume collects the pioneering French comic artist’s work.
Sep 18, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Laila Lalami
How Stephen A. Smith Got His Revenge How Stephen A. Smith Got His Revenge
His memoir, Straight Shooter—a reflection on his life, his victories, and his defeats—gives an inside look into how the ESPN personality remade sports journalism in his image.
Sep 14, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Zito Madu
What Can True Crime Offer Us? What Can True Crime Offer Us?
Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions for You tries to understand popular culture’s fixation on two lurid things: podcasts and murders.
Sep 13, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Bekah Waalkes