Recent History Recent History
Reviewing the year, in stitches.
May 25, 2021 / OppArt / India Tresselt
Is It Time to Abolish Museums? Is It Time to Abolish Museums?
From problematic funders to union-busting, museums around the world have been beset by controversy. Can reform actually change these institutions?
May 25, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Dana Kopel
The Roving Mind of Rachel Kushner The Roving Mind of Rachel Kushner
Her new collection of nonfiction—exploring life, death, motorcycles, land art, experimental film and much more—is exhilarating.
May 24, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Schaffer-Goddard
Why Critics Need to Let Their Guard Down Why Critics Need to Let Their Guard Down
A conversation with Larissa Pham about desire, the politics of vulnerability, and practicing a more generous form of criticism.
May 19, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Chalay Chalermkraivuth
Richard Wagner’s Pandemonium Richard Wagner’s Pandemonium
The contested life and afterlife of the composer.
May 18, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Mina Tavakoli
Jordan Peterson’s New Rules Are Old News Jordan Peterson’s New Rules Are Old News
The Canadian contrarian is back with another book. It isn’t any better than the last one.
May 18, 2021 / Column / Katha Pollitt
How Theater Can Help Us Survive How Theater Can Help Us Survive
The saga of Chilean director and playwright Oscar Castro is a vivid example of how art can help us endure—and thrive.
May 6, 2021 / Ariel Dorfman
Helpful Men: Defending Philip Roth, Dismissing Virginia Woolf Helpful Men: Defending Philip Roth, Dismissing Virginia Woolf
Like most women who write, I live my life according to the firmly stated judgments of literary men.
May 6, 2021 / Alyssa Harad
Philip Roth and His Defensive Fans Are Their Own Worst Enemies Philip Roth and His Defensive Fans Are Their Own Worst Enemies
Why did it take a sexual assault scandal to raise red flags about a deeply flawed biography?
Apr 30, 2021 / Jeet Heer
Blake Bailey’s Life as a Man Blake Bailey’s Life as a Man
The disgraced writer’s Philip Roth biography is a document of a misogynist literary world. But I had to read the book to get the whole story.
Apr 28, 2021 / Katha Pollitt