Books & the Arts

The Groundbreaking Honesty of Joe Sacco’s Comics Journalism

The Groundbreaking Honesty of Joe Sacco’s Comics Journalism The Groundbreaking Honesty of Joe Sacco’s Comics Journalism

His decades-long project of reportage in graphic form works like oral history—bearing witness to the historical traumas of his subjects.

Dec 28, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Jillian Steinhauer

How Should We Remember Ellis Island?

How Should We Remember Ellis Island? How Should We Remember Ellis Island?

Ellis Island: A People’s History looks at the everyday injustices that have haunted the country’s stance on immigration for centuries.

Dec 22, 2020 / Books & the Arts / J. Howard Rosier

The Frenzied Paris of Virginie Despentes

The Frenzied Paris of Virginie Despentes The Frenzied Paris of Virginie Despentes

Her trilogy of novels, Vernon Subutex, tell the story of a city and its inhabitants’ capacity for radical change.

Dec 21, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Jacqueline Feldman

The Best Albums of 2020

The Best Albums of 2020 The Best Albums of 2020

Our music critic’s 11 favorite pieces of music from this year.

Dec 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Shakespeare’s Contentious Conversation With America

Shakespeare’s Contentious Conversation With America Shakespeare’s Contentious Conversation With America

James Shapiro’s recent book looks at why Shakespeare has been a mainstay of the cultural and political conflicts of the country since its founding.

Dec 17, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Alisa Solomon

The Blinding Clarity of John Le Carré

The Blinding Clarity of John Le Carré The Blinding Clarity of John Le Carré

His novels of imperial decline speak to a world that has remained at war since his youth.

Dec 17, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Siddhartha Deb

Lost Voices, Muffled Histories, Piano Notes: The Poetry of Thulani Davis

Lost Voices, Muffled Histories, Piano Notes: The Poetry of Thulani Davis Lost Voices, Muffled Histories, Piano Notes: The Poetry of Thulani Davis

A new anthology of her writing, Nothing but the Music, tells the story of her thrilling body of work.

Dec 16, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Tobi Haslett

How has Religious Experience Changed in a Secular Age?

How has Religious Experience Changed in a Secular Age? How has Religious Experience Changed in a Secular Age?

A new book by Tara Isabella Burton explores how people are infusing new cultural forms with quasi-religious meaning.

Dec 15, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow

Serenade Behind a Floating Stage

Serenade Behind a Floating Stage Serenade Behind a Floating Stage

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Dec 15, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Shangyang Fang

Theodor Adorno and the Crises of Liberalism

Theodor Adorno and the Crises of Liberalism Theodor Adorno and the Crises of Liberalism

At the center of Adorno’s work was a reminder that fascist movements are not exceptional to liberal democracy but signs of its failure.

Dec 15, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Peter E. Gordon

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