Beatriz Bracher’s Family Histories Beatriz Bracher’s Family Histories
In Antonio, the novelist shows how the story of one family can help tell the larger story of inequality and violence in Brazilian life.
Jul 20, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Paoletta
Where Do Wars Come From? Where Do Wars Come From?
Two new books, Margaret MacMillan’s War and Martin Sherwin’s Gambling with Armageddon, offer close studies of how we end up, or almost end up, marching into war.
Jul 19, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Michael T. Klare
Can a Novel Capture the Tensions of Recent Queer History? Can a Novel Capture the Tensions of Recent Queer History?
An assimilationist and a liberationist play cat-and-mouse in Zak Salih’s debut novel Let’s Get Back to the Party.
Jul 15, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Jake Nevins
The Collective Trauma in ‘Mare of Easttown’ The Collective Trauma in ‘Mare of Easttown’
Unlike a standard true crime show, the HBO series focuses less on the mystery at its center and more on the community that must bear its consequences.
Jul 14, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz
What Counts What Counts
First breath, best breath. I don’t mean anything by that. Shale over shale. I concentrate on acts to keep from repeating words in my head. I sit up and copy them in bed. “So, so gl…
Jul 13, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Rae Armantrout
Cortés Burning the Aviaries Cortés Burning the Aviaries
Last night, I let in all the birds. I told my grandmother to stay awhile. I said, stop disguising yourself as wind. You are not the only one who can fly. I told my grandmother to s…
Jul 13, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Monica Rico
Brandon Taylor’s Potlucks and Parties Brandon Taylor’s Potlucks and Parties
In his new collection of short stories, the Booker-Prize nominated novelist explores the desires and discontents of people living in small university towns.
Jul 13, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Wilson
The Movement President The Movement President
Did Ronald Reagan help launch a movement—or did a set of movements help launch him?
Jul 12, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Thomas Meaney
‘What Would It Mean to Think That Thought?’: The Era of Lauren Berlant ‘What Would It Mean to Think That Thought?’: The Era of Lauren Berlant
Four writers on the legacy of Berlant’s thinking both in the academy and in public life.
Jul 8, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Judith Butler, Maggie Doherty, Ajay Singh Chaudhary, and Gabriel Winant
St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory St. Vincent’s Journey Into Musical Memory
An exploration of her father’s past and the rock music of the 1970s is a new challenge for the artist.
Jul 7, 2021 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu