Books and Ideas

A drone view of the former stage at People's Park in Berkeley, California.

Should People’s Park Be Consigned to the Ash Heap of History? Should People’s Park Be Consigned to the Ash Heap of History?

Many argue that after five decades of resisting the University of California’s repeated attempts to reclaim the park, it’s time to let go of the past and move on. We disagree.

Jan 31, 2024 / Steve Wasserman, Paul Glusman, Judy Gumbo Albert, and Tom Dalzell

“The Poor Poet,” a painting by Carl Spitzweg (1808–1885).

Ben Lerner, Personal Poet Ben Lerner, Personal Poet

In his first collection of verse in over a decade, he applies the lessons of his successful, self-conscious prose.

Jan 31, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Schurman Wallace

Nuremberg, 1923.

The First Time the Nazis Tried to Take Power The First Time the Nazis Tried to Take Power

The year that broke Germany.

Jan 29, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Richard J. Evans

Nation Poetry

from Earth’s Last Word (A superstitious poem) from "Earth’s Last Word (A superstitious poem)"

Jan 29, 2024 / no-paywall / Valerie Hsiung

Palestinians carry some belongings as they flee Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 26, 2024

Letters From the Apocalypse Letters From the Apocalypse

Palestinian writers George Abraham and Sarah Aziza were in the middle of an ongoing correspondence. Then came October 7.

Jan 29, 2024 / George Abraham and Sarah Aziza

Isabella Hammad’s Novel of Art and Exile in Palestine

Isabella Hammad’s Novel of Art and Exile in Palestine Isabella Hammad’s Novel of Art and Exile in Palestine

Enter the Ghost looks at a group of Palestinians who try to put on a production of Hamlet in the occupied West Bank. 

Jan 25, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Raja Shehadeh

When Her Neighbors Began Dying, the World Looked Away

When Her Neighbors Began Dying, the World Looked Away When Her Neighbors Began Dying, the World Looked Away

A new podcast takes us back to the early days of the HIV/AIDS crisis, when a mystery virus began spreading among New York’s Black and brown communities.

Jan 25, 2024 / Editorial / Lizzy Ratner

Heather Cox Richardson and the Battle Over US History

Heather Cox Richardson and the Battle Over US History Heather Cox Richardson and the Battle Over US History

One interpretation presents the country as irredeemably tainted by its past. Another contends that the United States has also tended toward egalitarianism.

Jan 24, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Kim Phillips-Fein

The Brilliant Discontents of Lou Reed

The Brilliant Discontents of Lou Reed The Brilliant Discontents of Lou Reed

A new biography examines the enigma of the musician.

Jan 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Sasha Frere-Jones

Niels Vodder display wtih furniture designed by Finn Juhl, Cabinetmakers Guild Exhibition, 1949.

How Did Americans Come to Love “Mid-Century Modern”? How Did Americans Come to Love “Mid-Century Modern”?

Solving the riddle of America’s obsession with postwar design and furniture.

Jan 23, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Marianela D’Aprile

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