The Invention of Close Reading The Invention of Close Reading
By transforming quotations into evidence, close reading served as way to turn postwar criticism into a specialized knowledge. But what if we treated it more as an art form?
May 12, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Dan Sinykin
Will the New Pope Ever Forgive JD Vance? Will the New Pope Ever Forgive JD Vance?
Leo XIV’s commitment to migrants and the poor will put him at odds with MAGA.
May 9, 2025 / Jeet Heer
The Jim Crow Origins of National Police Week The Jim Crow Origins of National Police Week
Police brutality and corruption are painful realities. So are officers who die honorably performing their duty. But the memorial in Washington fails to distinguish between them.
May 9, 2025 / Elizabeth Robeson
The Post-Future Has Arrived in Argentina—and It Looks Remarkably Like the Past The Post-Future Has Arrived in Argentina—and It Looks Remarkably Like the Past
Javier Milei’s right-wing government is racking up new debt with the IMF. It’s part of a vicious cycle the country seems unable to break.
May 9, 2025 / Jacob Sugarman
The Culture-War Furies Behind Trump’s Film-Tariff Plan The Culture-War Furies Behind Trump’s Film-Tariff Plan
The president doesn’t have the authority to impose tariffs on movies produced abroad, but he still wants to be the right’s designated culture commissar.
May 7, 2025 / Ben Schwartz
When It Comes to Building New Housing, “Abundance” Is More Like Avoidance When It Comes to Building New Housing, “Abundance” Is More Like Avoidance
Neither Klein and Thompson nor many of their critics on the left offer a robust strategy for actually building affordable homes. Here’s one that has been proven to work.
May 7, 2025 / Mike Gecan
Can Spotify Be Stopped? Can Spotify Be Stopped?
The streaming service has completely changed what it means to make and listen to music. What can be done to reverse its enormous influence?
May 6, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Mitch Therieau
The Creator of @PoetryIsNotALuxury on Their “Mixtape” for the Moment The Creator of @PoetryIsNotALuxury on Their “Mixtape” for the Moment
A conversation with the anonymous creator of the popular account about their new collection of poems.
May 6, 2025 / Q&A / Sara Franklin
The Many Lives of Joshua Clover (1962–2025) The Many Lives of Joshua Clover (1962–2025)
How the militant, poet, political theorist, organizer, and giver of gifts refused to die.
May 6, 2025 / Obituary / Juliana Spahr
