Archive

Thrilling and Harrowing: On Claire Vaye Watkins’s “I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness”
A surreal autofiction masterpiece explores motherhood, fidelity, and the American West.
Rachel Jo WalkerNov 18, 2021
- Fiction
Anniversary Episode: One Year of 55 Voices for Democracy Podcast
Nov 18, 2021
An Urgent New Book for the Time Being
David Palumbo-Liu argues for the radical message of “The Book of Form and Emptiness” by Ruth Ozeki.
David Palumbo-LiuNov 17, 2021
- Fiction
Down to the Wire in Old Shanghai: On James Carter’s “Champions Day”
Taoyu Yang reviews James Carter’s “Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai.”
Taoyu YangNov 17, 2021
- History
Ana C.’s Dress
Elisa Wouk Almino looks back at her parents friendship with the Brazilian poet Ana Cristina Cesar, known as Ana C.
Elisa Wouk AlminoNov 17, 2021
Break the Great Chain of Being: On “Becoming Human” and “Being Property Once Myself”
Brigitte Fielder reviews recent books by Zakiyyah Iman Jackson and Joshua Bennett.
Brigitte FielderNov 17, 2021
- Philosophy & Religion
A Beautiful Mess: On “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Emily Suzanne Johnson considers “The Eyes of Tammy Faye Bakker,” a richly detailed biopic that also happens to be a lost soul.
Emily Suzanne JohnsonNov 16, 2021
- Film
Fragile Threads: On Mina Seçkin’s “The Four Humors”
Malena Steelberg traces the course of “The Four Humors,” the debut novel of Mina Seçkin.
Malena SteelbergNov 16, 2021
- Fiction
No Easy Fix: On Carl L. Hart’s “Drug Use for Grown-Ups”
Maria Cichosz reviews “Drug Use for Grown-Ups,” saying it’s good drug policy based on bad rhetoric.
Maria CichoszNov 16, 2021
- Politics
Strangers No More
Jason Christian finds “The Kindness of Strangers,” the new travelogue from Tom Lutz.
Jason ChristianNov 15, 2021
- Around the World
Traveling Beyond the Canon: Original Artistry in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Film Adaptation of Drive My Car
Elissa Suh looks at how director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s exercises his own creativity in his adaptation of Haruki Murakami's "Drive My Car."
Elissa SuhNov 15, 2021
“To Be in a Time of War”: An Homage to Etel Adnan (1925-2021)
Fady Joudah adapts a chapter of “In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country,” in homage to its author, Etel Adnan, who passed away on November 14.
Fady JoudahNov 15, 2021
The Myth of the Classically Educated Elite
Despite the hype, neither American nor British elites have been particularly cultured.
Naomi KanakiaNov 15, 2021
- Education
Histories of Violence: The Crisis of Liberalism
Brad Evans speaks with Suzanne Schneider. A conversation in Brad Evans’s “Histories of Violence” series.
Brad EvansNov 15, 2021
- Histories of Violence
Writing the Kaleidoscope: A Conversation with Jackson Bliss
Bryan Hurt interviews Jackson Bliss on his debut story collection, “Counterfactual Love Stories & Other Experiments.”
Bryan HurtNov 14, 2021
- Fiction
An Offbeat Ghost Story: On Priyanka Champaneri’s “The City of Good Death”
“The City of Good Death” deals in stereotypes related to India, but it also vividly presents the life of the characters in its lush prose.
Suparno BanerjeeNov 14, 2021
- SF