The Amazon Effect The Amazon Effect
Amazon got big fast, hastening the arrival of digital publishing. But how big is too big?
May 29, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Steve Wasserman
How Germany Keeps Amazon at Bay and Literary Culture Alive How Germany Keeps Amazon at Bay and Literary Culture Alive
In Germany, fixed-price laws curtail the power of retail chains and help to sustain a vibrant literary culture.
May 29, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Michael Naumann
Fair and Balanced: On Copyright and Fair Use Fair and Balanced: On Copyright and Fair Use
Have copyright laws failed?
Jan 18, 2012 / Books & the Arts / Caleb Crain
The Oxford Comma-otion The Oxford Comma-otion
Who gives a [insert expletive] about an Oxford comma?
Jul 11, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Maria Kari
Shelf Life: On ‘Granta’ Shelf Life: On ‘Granta’
Under the editorship of John Freeman and Ellah Allfrey, Granta is thriving again.
Jun 15, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Scott Sherman
Before the Flood: Information Before the Information Age Before the Flood: Information Before the Information Age
Ann Blair’s Too Much to Know explains how across the centuries the profusion of information has always inspired readers to invent shortcuts to knowledge.
Apr 13, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Paula Findlen
The Pirate’s Prophet: On Lewis Hyde The Pirate’s Prophet: On Lewis Hyde
Is the cultural commons a viable alternative to the copyright regime, or does it risk turning culture into a consumerist slum?
Oct 27, 2010 / Books & the Arts / David Wallace-Wells
A Man of Enthusiasms: On Ben Sonnenberg A Man of Enthusiasms: On Ben Sonnenberg
Remembering Ben Sonnenberg (1936–2010)—writer, publisher, boulevardier—and his quarterly, Grand Street.
Sep 30, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Maria Margaronis
Katha Pollitt Wins ‘Lifetime Achievement’ American Book Award Katha Pollitt Wins ‘Lifetime Achievement’ American Book Award
The Nation's Katha Pollitt has been awarded the thirty-first annual American Book Award's prestigious "Lifetime Achievement" prize, celebrating her contributions both as an essayist and a poet. This is Pollitt's first American Book Award; she will be honored on September 19 at the awards ceremony in San Francisco. Pollitt is the author of several collections of essays; her most recent books include Learning to Drive and Other Life Stories(2007) and her second collection of poetry, The Mind-Body Problem (2009). Other ABA winners this year include Amiri Baraka, Dave Eggers and Pamela Ushuk. Pollitt has written for The Nation since 1980, and her regular column, "Subject to Debate" has run since 1995. You can read more about the awards here. The ceremony is open to the public. Pollitt's recent columns can be found here, and information and links for all of Pollitt's books can be found on her website.
Aug 25, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Press Room
The Trouble With Amazon The Trouble With Amazon
It's big, cheap and convenient. But does the online bookseller really serve readers' interests?
Jul 15, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Colin Robinson