Crows Crows
—after Crows by Unknown, Japan In perpetual silhouette perform against bronze. As exhausted dancers, undressed behind a scrim, the suggestion of nakedness more erotic than… En masse, they argue and flee between slim sessions of peace. This is existence: pain leashed or unleashed. Wings press against ribs in politesse or unfurl in demonstrations of power. When it’s over, crows remain as debris, Ebony confetti, wrecking more the wrecked world.
Sep 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Paula Bohince
PBS Loves Its ‘Roosevelts’—and Its Kochs, Too PBS Loves Its ‘Roosevelts’—and Its Kochs, Too
The Roosevelts pumps PBS ratings, but that doesn’t make the network any less centrist.
Sep 19, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Leslie Savan
Why Black Women Matter Why Black Women Matter
Ntozake Shange, author of the groundbreaking choreopoem, for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, explains what the Ray Rice scandal means for black ...
Sep 18, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Melissa Harris-Perry
How Art Inspires Change How Art Inspires Change
The Nation and the Center for Community Change partnered together for an essay contest in which young people were asked to submit a photo they found meaningful and an essay ex...
Sep 17, 2014 / Books & the Arts / StudentNation and Faron Manuel
What Is India? What Is India?
Why India’s boom years have been a bust.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Siddhartha Deb
Gordimer’s Way Gordimer’s Way
The Nobel laureate’s short stories are her lasting legacy to the literary world.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Tony Eprile
Shelf Life Shelf Life
The secret history of invisible ink.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Peter C. Baker
Ghosting Around Ghosting Around
In the stories of Kjell Askildsen, all that the men want is to be unseen.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Aaron Thier
Of Optics and Objectivity: How Journalism Is Failing Our Democracy Of Optics and Objectivity: How Journalism Is Failing Our Democracy
Eric on "The Beatles in Mono" and Reed on how the emphasis on optics skews our democratic priorities.
Sep 11, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Eric Alterman and Reed Richardson
Language and Blood Language and Blood
In 1941, genocide broke out in Croatia, and we still cannot explain why.
Sep 9, 2014 / Books & the Arts / John Connelly