Books and Ideas

A Literature of Her Own: ‘It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris’, by Patricia Engel

A Literature of Her Own: ‘It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris’, by Patricia Engel A Literature of Her Own: ‘It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris’, by Patricia Engel

The author's absorbing debut novel chronicles a young woman’s year in Paris, where she will have to choose the home wants most. 

Sep 13, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Roxane Gay

Remembering Saul Landau

Remembering Saul Landau Remembering Saul Landau

Saul helped ignite a political awareness and a passion for history in me.

Sep 11, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Andrés S. Pertierra

Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15–October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15–October 15

The members of Congress are ready to cheer Latinos and what they’ve accomplished right here. There’s praise for Latinos in all of this chatter. But making them legal? A different matter.

Sep 11, 2013 / Column / Calvin Trillin

Great Perturbations: On George Packer

Great Perturbations: On George Packer Great Perturbations: On George Packer

The Unwinding is a fine-grained account of economic collapse that runs aground on causeless abstractions.

Sep 10, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Chris Lehmann

Rising Above the Failure of Imagination

Rising Above the Failure of Imagination Rising Above the Failure of Imagination

The conversation about diversity in Science Fiction & Fantasy reveals how racism constrains even imagination. 

Sep 10, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Roxane Gay

Broader, Better Literary Conversations

Broader, Better Literary Conversations Broader, Better Literary Conversations

Literary conversations are not representative of the diversity of modern letters. We can and I will do better. 

Sep 9, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Roxane Gay

Walter Mosley’s Alien Script

Walter Mosley’s Alien Script Walter Mosley’s Alien Script

The author opens up about his latest art exhibition, magic, failure and unexpected success.

Sep 6, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Fatima Bhojani

‘Rodman Returns to North Korea to Visit Kim’—The New York Times ‘Rodman Returns to North Korea to Visit Kim’—The New York Times

So Rodman makes more Sturm und Drang By planning a trip to Pyongyang. What purpose is served by this junket? He may think he’ll teach Kim to dunk it. But Kim Jong-un, being vest-pocket In size, would require a rocket. Of course, as he’s wont to disclose, The man has no shortage of those.

Sep 4, 2013 / Column / Calvin Trillin

Remembering Seamus Heaney

Remembering Seamus Heaney Remembering Seamus Heaney

The contrarian poet refused to toe any party line.

Sep 4, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Margaret Spillane

Jester and Priest: On Leszek Kolakowski

Jester and Priest: On Leszek Kolakowski Jester and Priest: On Leszek Kolakowski

How the great Polish philosopher went from being an anticlerical scourge to an apostle of John Paul II.

Sep 4, 2013 / Books & the Arts / John Connelly

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