Literary Criticism

The Rebellions of Murray Kempton

The Rebellions of Murray Kempton The Rebellions of Murray Kempton

One of his generation’s most prolific journalists, Kempton never turned a blind eye to the inequalities all around him.

Apr 8, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Vivian Gornick

Agnes Callard and the Examined Life

Agnes Callard and the Examined Life Agnes Callard and the Examined Life

In her new book, Callard makes the case that we should all live more philosophically but where does politics fit in?

Apr 8, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Olúfémi O. Táíwò

The Making of a Cold War Spy

The Making of a Cold War Spy The Making of a Cold War Spy

The life and work of Frank Wisner, one of the CIA’s founding officers, offers us a portrait of American intelligence’s excesses.

Mar 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Adam Hochschild

The Cruel World According to Stephen Miller

The Cruel World According to Stephen Miller The Cruel World According to Stephen Miller

How did he become the Trump era’s architect of hate? 

Mar 10, 2025 / Books & the Arts / David Klion

Henri Bergson’s States of Change

Henri Bergson’s States of Change Henri Bergson’s States of Change

Why did one of the early 20th century’s most famous philosophers go out of fashion?

Feb 11, 2025 / Books & the Arts / John Banville

The Making and Remaking of Karl Marx’s  “Capital”

The Making and Remaking of Karl Marx’s “Capital” The Making and Remaking of Karl Marx’s “Capital”

In the first English translation in half a century, Paul Reitter and Paul North distill the essence of the Marxist masterpiece by going back to basics.

Feb 10, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Alyssa Battistoni

Fady Joudah’s Poetry of Dislocation

Fady Joudah’s Poetry of Dislocation Fady Joudah’s Poetry of Dislocation

In his new book of poetry, […], the poet, translator, and ER doctor explores Palestinians’ experiences of exile and displacement—and the difficulty of healing amid the ongoing Nak...

Jan 14, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Hussein Omar

The Worlds of Noam Chomsky

The Worlds of Noam Chomsky The Worlds of Noam Chomsky

If ordinary Americans know one critic of the American Empire, it’s almost certainly Chomsky.

Jan 13, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Bessner

David Montgomery in a picket line during a 1955 UE strike.

David Montgomery and the Vitality of Labor History David Montgomery and the Vitality of Labor History

From his first book to his landmark account of the politics of the pre-WWI labor movement, Montgomery explored how people’s experiences of work shaped their political horizons.

Dec 17, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Kim Phillips-Fein

Isabella Hammad and the Politics of Recognition

Isabella Hammad and the Politics of Recognition Isabella Hammad and the Politics of Recognition

In her capacious book of criticism, Recognizing the Stranger, Isabella Hammad asks: “How large is the gulf between us?”

Dec 16, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Abdelrahman ElGendy

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