Cultural Criticism and Analysis

The Radical Genius of Álvaro Enrigue

The Radical Genius of Álvaro Enrigue The Radical Genius of Álvaro Enrigue

His new novel is as much a work of political philosophy as it is one of fiction.

May 12, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Nicolás Medina Mora

A broken piano in the music room of the abandoned Southwestern High School.

Drowning Out the Noise Drowning Out the Noise

How music became the cathartic refuge for my political frustration.

Apr 18, 2026 / Andrew Marzoni

August Macke, “Vegetable Fields,” 1895.

The Hidden History of Free Choice The Hidden History of Free Choice

A conversation with Sophia Rosenfeld about her recent book on the roots of the concept of choice.

Mar 18, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Women wait to undergo a medical check in Paris in October 1944.

The Greatest Love Is Grieving The Greatest Love Is Grieving

I spent years as a labor organizer. Marguerite Duras’s war novel taught me that the strongest fighters are always the women hurting the most.

Mar 7, 2026 / Haley Mlotek

Werner Herzog, 1984.

Werner Herzog Between Fact and Fiction Werner Herzog Between Fact and Fiction

The German auteur’s recent book presents a strange, idiosyncratic vision of the concept of “truth,” one that defines how he sees the world and his art.

Feb 25, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Lowry Pressly

Sinclair Lewis aboard the SS American Farmer on its arrival in New York.

The 1935 Novel That Predicted Trump’s Second Term The 1935 Novel That Predicted Trump’s Second Term

Sinclair Lewis imagined an American version of the rise of fascism in Europe. His predictions didn’t come true then, but seem eerily familiar now.

Nov 20, 2025 / Column / Chris Lehmann

How Can We Fix American Democracy?

How Can We Fix American Democracy? How Can We Fix American Democracy?

Preserving our democracy is as urgent a task as ever, but the question is how.

Nov 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Nicholas Lemann

Nicolas Poussin’s “Landscape with a Calm,” 1650–51.

What T.J. Clark Sees  What T.J. Clark Sees 

His art criticism reaches rarified heights—combining style, rigor, and politics like almost no one else.

Oct 22, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Walter Lippmann on the ocean liner Conte di Savoia.

Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics Walter Lippmann’s Phantom Publics

Arguably no American journalist wielded as much influence as Walter Lippmann did in the 20th century. But what did he do with that power?

Oct 15, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Gerald Howard

Bot-Eat-Bot-World

Bot-Eat-Bot-World Bot-Eat-Bot-World

Artificial indigestion.

Oct 8, 2025 / OppArt / Brian Stauffer

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