Archive

Why Haven’t They Been Done Yet: Examining Policies in "One Billion Americans"
Will Compernolle questions the feasibility and uniqueness of Matthew Yglesias' policy proposals in "One Billion Americans."
Will CompernolleOct 19, 2020
Ghostly Presences in Addis Ababa: A Conversation with Maaza Mengiste
An interview with Maaza Mengiste, editor of “Addis Ababa Noir.”
Naomi EliasOct 19, 2020
- Around the World
- Noir
“Black Moses” by Alain Mabanckou
Witty, political, and deeply touching, this translation from French into English tells the story of an orphan driven by his acute sense of justice. Check out our Fall 2020 pick for the LARB Book Club: “Black Moses” by Alain Mabanckou, translated by Helen Stevenson.
Oct 19, 2020
There’s Something About These Dolphins
Patrick House on the difference between reality and virtual reality, and what it means for identity, memory, autobiography, and therapy.
Patrick HouseOct 19, 2020
- Philosophy & Religion
- Science & Technology
How a Book Club Became My Joint
Marsha Lynn Smith reflects on what her book club, Sisters With Books, means to her.
Marsha Lynn SmithOct 19, 2020
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
Stanley Crouch, Radical Pragmatist
The death of Stanley Crouch leaves America’s intellectual culture less interesting, less imaginative, and, above all else, less artful.
David MasciotraOct 18, 2020
The Beauty of the House: On Susanna Clarke’s “Piranesi”
Ilana Teitelbaum reviews "Piranesi," the newest novel from Susanna Clarke.
Ilana TeitelbaumOct 18, 2020
- SF
“To Hell with Neatnesses”: On Eley Williams’s “The Liar’s Dictionary”
Declan Ryan is truly impressed by “The Liar’s Dictionary,” a debut novel by Eley Williams.
Declan RyanOct 18, 2020
- Fiction
Exercising Religion and Taming Faction
Lael Weinberger reviews "Beyond Belief, Beyond Conscience: The Radical Significance of the Free Exercise of Religion" by Jack N. Rakove.
Lael WeinbergerOct 18, 2020
The Dangers of Moral Talk: On Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke’s “Grandstanding”
Adam Szetela reviews Brandon Warmke and Justin Tosi’s book “Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk.”
Adam SzetelaOct 17, 2020
- Politics
“This Decadent Western Thing”: Joanna Stingray on the Soviet Underground Rock Scene
The L.A. rocker on her experiences in the underground rock scene in pre-glasnost Russia.
Sasha RazorOct 17, 2020
Not “The Plague” but “Notes from Underground”
Randy RosenthalOct 17, 2020
A Plurality of Traditions: Anthony Davis and the Social Justice Opera
The socially driven dream-telling of Anthony Davis’s political operas.
Thomas LarsonOct 17, 2020
- Music
- Politics
Elena Ferrante Says if You Lean in You Might Just Fall Over
"The 'your priorities will change' statement suggests that after having a child a person — most often a woman — will devalue her former aspirations..."
Wendy JonesOct 17, 2020
A Wine Lover Considers the “Sober Lush” Lifestyle
Annemarie Hauser embraces "The Sober Lush," the new book by Amanda Eyre Ward and Jardine Libaire.
Annemarie HauserOct 16, 2020
- Memoir & Essay
“What I’ve Got Is Half-Hope”: A Conversation with Kathleen Rooney
Kim Brooks interviews Kathleen Rooney about her new novel, "Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey."
Kim BrooksOct 16, 2020
- Fiction