Books and Ideas

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, Is the Perfect Anti-Trump

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, Is the Perfect Anti-Trump Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, Is the Perfect Anti-Trump

His new memoir will have people talking up a presidential run, even though Franken denies interest.

Jun 2, 2017 / Joan Walsh

Czesław Miłosz’s Space Travels

Czesław Miłosz’s Space Travels Czesław Miłosz’s Space Travels

Having spent four decades in exile, the Polish poet discovered a homeland in his writing.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stephanie Burt

Diana Trilling’s Discontents

Diana Trilling’s Discontents Diana Trilling’s Discontents

To keep up with the New York Intellectuals, Diana Trilling forgot—and forgave—nothing.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Vivian Gornick

The Frontiers of American Capitalism

The Frontiers of American Capitalism The Frontiers of American Capitalism

Noam Maggor’s new book captures how it took both sides of the American continent to revitalize the economy after the Civil War.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Eric Foner

Thoreau: A Radical for All Seasons

Thoreau: A Radical for All Seasons Thoreau: A Radical for All Seasons

The surprising persistence of Henry David Thoreau.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Jedediah Britton-Purdy

The Two Women’s Movements

The Two Women’s Movements The Two Women’s Movements

Feminism has been on the march since the 1970s, but so has the conservative backlash.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Kim Phillips-Fein

J.M. Coetzee’s Essential Protestantism

J.M. Coetzee’s Essential Protestantism J.M. Coetzee’s Essential Protestantism

In his last two novels, Coetzee has tried to recover the scandal and strangeness of early Christianity.

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Adam Kirsch

The Quiet Discontent of Sarah Manguso

The Quiet Discontent of Sarah Manguso The Quiet Discontent of Sarah Manguso

The essayist and poet has made an art out of concision. But what do her essays leave out?

Jun 1, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Charlotte Shane

1960 West Berlin Congress of Cultural Freedom

How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers

Joel Whitney talks about his book Finks, which exposes the agency’s corruption of American culture during the Cold War.

May 31, 2017 / Patrick Lawrence

The Outcome of This Obscure Lawsuit Could Undermine Constitutional Government

The Outcome of This Obscure Lawsuit Could Undermine Constitutional Government The Outcome of This Obscure Lawsuit Could Undermine Constitutional Government

The Georgia Supreme Court is about to decide whether citizens can sue the state. It’s chilling to imagine what could happen if the justices say they cannot.

May 31, 2017 / Cara Sabatini

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