Cultural Criticism and Analysis

Wendy Raymond, president of Haverford College; Robert Manuel, president of DePaul University; David Cole, a professor at Georgetown Law and former legal director of the ACLU; and Jeffrey Armstrong, president of California Polytechnic State University testify during a hearing before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on May 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing on “Beyond The Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses.”

McCarthyism 2.0: Reflections on Testifying in the House Antisemitism Hearings McCarthyism 2.0: Reflections on Testifying in the House Antisemitism Hearings

I soon realized that neither the law nor the facts matter to the Committee on Education’s Republican inquisitors.

May 28, 2025 / David Cole

Elizabeth Pochoda at the IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair preview, 2017.

The Formidable Intellect and Comprehensive Passions of Elizabeth Pochoda (1941–2025) The Formidable Intellect and Comprehensive Passions of Elizabeth Pochoda (1941–2025)

The former literary editor of The Nation brought her curiosity, wit, and singular editorial instincts to nearly every corner of New York media.

May 19, 2025 / Obituary / Gene Seymour

Reaping what they sowed: Biden and Harris at Trump’s inauguration.

The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up The Biden Scandal Goes Well Beyond the Aging Cover-Up

The former president’s stubbornness and narcissism led to disastrous Trump victory.

May 16, 2025 / Jeet Heer

Is Criticism Really in Crisis?

Is Criticism Really in Crisis? Is Criticism Really in Crisis?

Andrea Long Chu and the politics of critical life.

May 14, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Kevin Lozano

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

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

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

Jaime Cook, principal of Sackets Harbor Central School.

The People Are Resisting While the Elites Are Surrendering The People Are Resisting While the Elites Are Surrendering

The Ivy League is silently complicit in Trump’s war on international students.

Apr 14, 2025 / Jeet Heer

x