China’s New Frontiers China’s New Frontiers
How Africa and China’s own borderlands became the center of Beijing’s new empire.
Sep 30, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Audrea Lim
Poetry and Catastrophe Poetry and Catastrophe
By privileging historical catastrophe, a new poetry anthology narrows the definition of art.
Sep 30, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Benjamin Paloff
Life in the Ruins Life in the Ruins
How the destruction of architectural treasures became a weapon in Syria’s ongoing civil war.
Sep 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Frederick Deknatel
Under Pressure Under Pressure
How much of the pressure of reality can a work of art bear before it ceases to be art?
Sep 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky
The Resource Privilege The Resource Privilege
How law firms and lobbyists protect and whitewash petroleum dictatorships.
Sep 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / James North
Crows Crows
—after Crows by Unknown, Japan In perpetual silhouette perform against bronze. As exhausted dancers, undressed behind a scrim, the suggestion of nakedness more erotic than… En masse, they argue and flee between slim sessions of peace. This is existence: pain leashed or unleashed. Wings press against ribs in politesse or unfurl in demonstrations of power. When it’s over, crows remain as debris, Ebony confetti, wrecking more the wrecked world.
Sep 23, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Paula Bohince
What Is India? What Is India?
Why India’s boom years have been a bust.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Siddhartha Deb
Gordimer’s Way Gordimer’s Way
The Nobel laureate’s short stories are her lasting legacy to the literary world.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Tony Eprile
Shelf Life Shelf Life
The secret history of invisible ink.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Peter C. Baker
Ghosting Around Ghosting Around
In the stories of Kjell Askildsen, all that the men want is to be unseen.
Sep 16, 2014 / Books & the Arts / Aaron Thier