Books and Ideas

The Invention of Close Reading

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

The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican.

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 Phoenix Police Department honor guard is the first department to stand watch during the “Standing Watch for the Fallen” flag ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial May 14, 2014, in Washington, DC.

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

A row of police stands across a street. A car in front of them is on fire.

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

Donald Trump projects his cultural will-to-power from the presidential box at the Kennedy Center.

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

A worker assembles components of modular housing in the Capsys factory in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York in 2016, shortly before it was repurposed as the Nehemiah Spring Creek housing development.

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? 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

“Poetry can push you to see your own courage or strengths. It’s sort of like a refueling station when you're reading,” says the anonymous creator of @poetryisnotaluxury.

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

Joshua Clover, 2015.

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

Nation Poetry

from Small Wars Manual from "Small Wars Manual"

May 1, 2025 / Poems / Chris Santiago

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