Books and Ideas

“Harlem WPA Street Dance,” by Elizabeth Olds, ca.1935–43.

Reading “Mumbo Jumbo” in the Post-Covid Age Reading “Mumbo Jumbo”" "in the Post-Covid Age

Ishmael Reed's novel depicts an American government dedicated to public health as long as its efforts keep hierarchy and the status quo in place.

Dec 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Melvin Backman

A party at Danceteria in New York City, 1990.

Sasha Frere-Jones, a Life Remixed Sasha Frere-Jones, a Life Remixed

Sasha Frere-Jones is an institution of music criticism in an era when music critics are no longer institutions. Roughly over the course of the 1990s, Frere-Jones made a transformat…

Dec 19, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Piccarella

Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer for Donald Trump, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman US District Courthouse on December 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

The Real Tragedy of Rudy Giuliani The Real Tragedy of Rudy Giuliani

The disgraced former mayor was a racist authoritarian—even back when he was being celebrated by the mainstream media.

Dec 18, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Nation Poetry

Lavender Lavender

Dec 18, 2023 / Poems / Margaret Ray

Murray Bookchin (left) and Murray Rothbard.

The 2 Murrays and the Age of Pretend Anarchy The 2 Murrays and the Age of Pretend Anarchy

The strange global influence of anarcho-capitalism.

Dec 15, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Holly Maguigan stands at a podium smiling, giving a speech.

When Women Fought Back: Holly Maguigan’s Legacy in the Law When Women Fought Back: Holly Maguigan’s Legacy in the Law

Her work forced the law to embrace a feminist conception of danger, threat, and defending yourself and your family.

Dec 14, 2023 / Katherine Franke

The author’s mother, 1927.

Christina Sharpe and the Art of Everyday Black Life Christina Sharpe and the Art of Everyday Black Life

In Ordinary Notes, Sharpe considers Black culture “in all of its shade and depth and glow.”

Dec 13, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Omari Weekes

Goodbye, bad corporate thing that you don’t run, Hello, good indie thing that you DO run. (Details of thing TBD.)

The Definitive Guide to Starting Your Own Media Company The Definitive Guide to Starting Your Own Media Company

How to throw off the corporate shackles and launch an independent news outlet.

Dec 13, 2023 / Feature / Kelsey McKinney and Aleksander Chan

The Dubious Feminism of the Natural Childbirth Movement

The Dubious Feminism of the Natural Childbirth Movement The Dubious Feminism of the Natural Childbirth Movement

Pregnant women are everywhere, but in a way it’s hard to see them. The pregnant woman’s body is shrouded in a veil of symbolism, made an object of our anxieties and hopes in a way…

Dec 12, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Moira Donegan

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger make a statement in the State Department briefing room after receiving the Nobel Peace prize.

The Death of Henry Kissinger The Death of Henry Kissinger

Dec 12, 2023 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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