Books and Ideas

A shepherd reading,, by Johann Heinrich Roos (1631–1685).

How a Creative Mind Lives in Nature How a Creative Mind Lives in Nature

Working in the wilderness could not satiate my intellectual impulses. But for the protagonist of Hothouse Bloom, the binary between mental and physical labor is what calls her.

Sep 5, 2026 / Dan Sinykin

Looking Back on 9/11

Looking Back on 9/11 Looking Back on 9/11

I hate to use this column to say “I told you so,” but in this case, “The Nation” was on the right side of history.

Sep 1, 2026 / Column / Richard Kreitner

Representatives from the Oneida Nation, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration unveil new dual-language signs in Oneida, Wisconsin, on September 30, 2022.

Do We Need a New Approach to Our Origin Stories? Do We Need a New Approach to Our Origin Stories?

An interview with historian Ned Blackhawk on the United States’ contested founding.

Aug 24, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Hubert Harrison’s Brand of Black Radicalism

Hubert Harrison’s Brand of Black Radicalism Hubert Harrison’s Brand of Black Radicalism

In this interview with Brian Kwoba, “The Nation” talks with the author about his new book on the legacy of a little-known but influential activist.

Aug 19, 2026 / Q&A / Peter Cole

Participants from a coalition of voting rights groups march over the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on May 16, 2026, in a protest following the Supreme Court decision “Louisiana v. Callais.”

Attacks on Black Citizenship Are Attacks on Democracy Attacks on Black Citizenship Are Attacks on Democracy

Too often, Democrats reinforce Republicans’ lie that the language of racial justice is the problem—instead of the injustices the language is trying to name.

Aug 18, 2026 / Column / Kali Holloway

View of apartment buildings in Manhattan

Bad Mothers and Monstrous Children Bad Mothers and Monstrous Children

Jordy Rosenberg’s “Night Night Fawn” offers a multigenerational tale of Marxists, Zionists, and estrangement.

Aug 13, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Emmet Fraizer

The New York premiere of “Girls,” 2012.

Growing Up With “Girls” Growing Up With “Girls”

Lena Dunham and her generation enter midlife.

Aug 13, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Grace Byron

The Obama Presidential Center.

The Nostalgic Architecture of the Obama Presidential Center The Nostalgic Architecture of the Obama Presidential Center

Where hope even has a gift shop.

Aug 11, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Kate Wagner

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.

Pirro Disagrees With Trump on Reflecting Pool Damage Pirro Disagrees With Trump on Reflecting Pool Damage

Aug 11, 2026 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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