Books and Ideas

A group welcomes Angelo Herndon to New York after his release on bail from the Georgia State Prison.

Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech

The story ofhis landmark case reminds us of how powerful a popular front of socialists and liberals can be in protecting our civil liberties.

Nov 17, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Randall Kennedy

A still from “After the Hunt.”

The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”

Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.

Nov 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Lovia Gyarkye

Franz Kafka’s  Best Friend

Franz Kafka’s Best Friend Franz Kafka’s Best Friend

Kafka’s late story about a philosopher dog, like most of his stories about animals, is really about our lost humanity.

Nov 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Jonathan Lethem

An excavator works to clear rubble after the East Wing of the White House was demolished. The demolition is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to build a ballroom on the eastern side of the White House.

The New Ballroom The New Ballroom

Nov 11, 2025 / Column / Calvin Trillin

How Can We Fix American Democracy?

How Can We Fix American Democracy? How Can We Fix American Democracy?

Preserving our democracy is as urgent a task as ever, but the question is how.

Nov 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Nicholas Lemann

An engraving depicting a sansculottes offering a Phrygian cap to King Louis XVI.

The Invention of the Modern Self The Invention of the Modern Self

How did the idea of the individual come into being?

Nov 10, 2025 / Books & the Arts / David A. Bell

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith: "I Say What I See" Zadie Smith: "I Say What I See"

A conversation with the acclaimed author about her new essay collection, Dead and Alive.

Nov 7, 2025 / Q&A / Edna Bonhomme

Arundhati Roy, 2002.

The Making of Arundhati Roy The Making of Arundhati Roy

In Mother Mary Comes to Me, the icon of Indian letters revisits the time that forged her as a writer.

Nov 6, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Siddhartha Mahanta

A grocery store in Dorchester, Massachusetts, warns customers that SNAP benefits have been suspended.

A Brief History of Right-Wing Attacks on Food Stamps A Brief History of Right-Wing Attacks on Food Stamps

A trip through The Nation’s archives offers essential insights into why Republicans have long tried to weaken SNAP—and why they’re trying to kill it now.

Nov 6, 2025 / Richard Kreitner

Jesse Jackson speaking into a microphone in 1989.

How Jesse Jackson Transformed American Politics How Jesse Jackson Transformed American Politics

In the face of Reagan’s right-wing presidency, he offered a vision, strategy, and agenda that would have led Democrats and the country in a very different direction.

Nov 5, 2025 / Robert L. Borosage

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