Language Arts

Library sign

You Can’t Buy These Books You Can’t Buy These Books

In their attack on libraries, megapublishers roll a Trojan horse into the courts.

Jul 18, 2022 / Maria Bustillos

Midge Decter speaking a lectern

Farewell to Midge Decter, the Bigot on the Beach Farewell to Midge Decter, the Bigot on the Beach

The obituaries for the founding mother of neoconservatism fail to give a sense of how vile her opinions really were.

May 13, 2022 / Jeet Heer

The War of Words Between Between “Rashka” and Ukraine

The War of Words Between Between “Rashka” and Ukraine The War of Words Between Between “Rashka” and Ukraine

On the culture front between “Rashka” and Ukraine.

Mar 17, 2022 / Benjamin Moser

The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022)

The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022) The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022)

Two friends and colleagues on the late scholar, whose analyses of gay identity during the height of the AIDS crisis still loom large over sexuality studies.

Mar 7, 2022 / Zahid R. Chaudhary and Anne Anlin Cheng

The Book Arsenal: A Dispatch From the Cultural Front in Kyiv

The Book Arsenal: A Dispatch From the Cultural Front in Kyiv The Book Arsenal: A Dispatch From the Cultural Front in Kyiv

Ukrainian publisher Anetta Antonenko has her books, her cats, her language—and her gun.

Feb 28, 2022 / Benjamin Moser

Three stacks of 100 dollar bills.

How the “American Dream” Became Un-American How the “American Dream” Became Un-American

When plutocrats defend it, and democrats bewail its passing, it’s time to recall the original meaning of the phrase.

Feb 10, 2022 / Maria Bustillos

Richard Wright

Why We Need a New Federal Writers’ Project Why We Need a New Federal Writers’ Project

The Depression-era Federal Writers’ Project created jobs, fought disinformation, and gave voice to the voiceless. We need all of the above now more than ever.

Jul 12, 2021 / David Kipen

Richard Wright

Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Drive Richard Wright Underground? Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Drive Richard Wright Underground?

On “Memories of My Grandmother” and "The Man Who Lived Underground."

May 20, 2021 / Joseph G. Ramsey

Hello, Poetry, You ‘Lamenting Pleasure’

Hello, Poetry, You ‘Lamenting Pleasure’ Hello, Poetry, You ‘Lamenting Pleasure’

Reading poetry over the phone, David Ferry and loved ones find an antidote to loneliness.

May 5, 2021 / Something Is Happening Here / Elizabeth Emma Ferry and Stephen Ferry

Three portraits

9 Months Into Touch-Free Living, What Shall We Birth? 9 Months Into Touch-Free Living, What Shall We Birth?

“Thanks Forgiving,” a poem.

Dec 2, 2020 / Something Is Happening Here / Verandah Porche

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