Archive

What Is Hope for?
The term “human rights” sounds like a universal good, but it has a surprisingly contentious backstory.
Patrick William KellyJun 7, 2018
- Politics
Dystopian Bodies: Barbara Ehrenreich Attacks the Epidemic of Wellness
As Ehrenreich finds, not only is the science of wellness dubious, but its systems of self-control (like dieting) also reify class and gender hierarchies.
Niko MaragosJun 7, 2018
- Politics
- Science & Technology
The Lost Ferlinghetti Tapes
"The Lost Ferlinghetti Tapes" is a mini-documentary by Paul Iorio that presents audio excerpts from an exclusive interview he conducted with Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 2000.
Paul IorioJun 7, 2018
Not Raging Against the Dying of the Light
A sharp critique of the anti-aging industry from a keen observer of American flim-flam.
Wendy ParisJun 7, 2018
- Politics
- Science & Technology
Rent Control Keeps Prices Down for Everyone. Why? Because the Housing Market Is Driven Primarily by Speculative Forces, Not Supply and Demand
Julian Smith-Newman makes the case for rent control as a solution to California's housing affordability crisis.
Julian Smith-NewmanJun 7, 2018
Reasonableness Without Reasons: Yascha Mounk’s “The People vs. Democracy”
Is populism a reaction against oligarchy, or is it part of the oligarchic plan?
Jonny ThakkarJun 6, 2018
- Law
- Politics
Totalitarian Politics Are Local
A flawed but spirited attempt to develop a grand theory of the 21st-century autocratic revival.
Benjamin CunninghamJun 6, 2018
- Law
- Politics
The Art and Activism of the Anthropocene, Part II: A Conversation with Jeff VanderMeer, Zaria Forman, and Gleb Raygorodetsky
Amy Brady of “Guernica” magazine presents the second conversation in the series “The Art and Activism of the Anthropocene.”
Amy BradyJun 6, 2018
On Masculinity
The first of Kristina Marie Darling's essay series "Billed Into Silence."
Kristina Marie DarlingJun 6, 2018
Fiction of Dystopian Times: Ahmed Saadawi’s “Frankenstein in Baghdad”
Rather than dystopian fiction, it’s more apt to call Ahmed Saadawi’s “Frankenstein in Baghdad” fiction of dystopian times.
Sam MetzJun 5, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
James Wood’s Subtle Subversions
Alexander C. Kafka finds James Wood’s “Upstate” a stirring novel of quiet, careful craftsmanship.
Alexander C. KafkaJun 5, 2018
- Fiction
The Drone and the Tunnel: How We Read Indigenous Stories Matters
Callum Angus considers the narrative strategies of two recent books, "Darwin's Ghosts" by Ariel Dorfman and Tommy Orange's "There There."
Callum AngusJun 5, 2018
Either Reason or a Rope: On Jennifer Summit and Blakey Vermeule’s “Action versus Contemplation: Why an Ancient Debate Still Matters”
Kieran Setiya contemplates “Action versus Contemplation: Why an Ancient Debate Still Matters,” an engaging new book by Jennifer Summit and Blakey Vermeule.
Kieran SetiyaJun 4, 2018
- Philosophy & Religion
What Will You Let Yourself Know?: Alexander Chee and Jenny Boully Write About Writing
True stories about writing replace lessons in new books on craft by Alexander Chee and Jenny Boully.
Holly WillisJun 4, 2018
- Memoir & Essay
From Nixon to Trump: Metastases of Cultural Power
Carl Freedman examines the cultural power dynamics that link Nixon and Trump.
Carl FreedmanJun 4, 2018
- Politics
The Dangers of Secrecy in Egg and Sperm Donation
Angela Lawson outlines the potential problems with non-disclosure in egg and sperm donation.
Dr. Angela Lawson, PhDJun 4, 2018