Essays Archive | Los Angeles Review of Books

All Essays

The Long Breath of the World
On László Krasznahorkai’s sentences and what they require of us.
Nyuol Lueth TongJan 14
- Literary Criticism
- Fiction
The Mysterious Eugenics of Aesthetic Taste
In the 11th essay in the Legacies of Eugenics series, Michael Rossi shows how American scientists and artists used their discovery of racial ‘types’ to buttress eugenicist notions of aesthetic taste.
Michael RossiJan 11
In Memory of William Faulkner This Business Will Be Closed From 2:00 to 2:15 P.M. Today
LARB presents an excerpt from Gayle Feldman’s forthcoming biography of Bennett Cerf, the legendary American publisher.
Gayle FeldmanJan 9
- Biography & Autobiography
Hella Hitler
Andrew Holter revisits ‘The California Reich’ 50 years on and considers the legacy of the neo-Nazi documentary.
Andrew HolterJan 8
- Film
- Cultural Studies
At Tammy Wynette’s Grave, Woodlawn Memorial Park, Nashville
Drew Bratcher meditates on the legacy of a country music legend.
Drew BratcherJan 4
- Music
Jodie Hollander’s ‘The Ouija Board’
Jodie Hollander describes the imprisonment of fame, in a poem from LARB Quarterly no. 47, ‘Security.’
Jodie HollanderJan 2
- LARB Lit
- Poetry
Tess Taylor’s ‘Three Notebooks’
Tess Taylor captures fragments of dream text, blank invitations, and stored receipts, in a poem from LARB Quarterly no. 47, ‘Security.’
Tess TaylorJan 1
- LARB Lit
- Poetry
Anna Journey’s ‘I Object to the Etymology of Sacrum’
Anna Journey writes on the ‘site of infernal nerve spark and spasm,’ in a poem from LARB Quarterly no. 47, ‘Security.’
Anna JourneyDec 31, 2025
- LARB Lit
- Poetry
We Are Close, We Are Almost There
Zachary Gillan reflects on Jeffrey Ford’s ‘Well-Built City Trilogy’ in the era of resurgent fascism.
Zachary GillanDec 30, 2025
- SF
- Politics
Two Poems by Dalia Taha
Dalia Taha writes on Palestine and the messages etched into the land, in two poems from LARB Quarterly no. 47, ‘Security,’ translated by Sara Elkamel.
Dalia Taha, Sara ElkamelDec 30, 2025
- Poetry
- LARB Lit
Designing Feminism or Fascism?
Harley Wong on fashion designer Dilara Findikoglu’s ‘Cage of Innocence’ presentation in light of Edith Wharton’s fiction.
Harley WongDec 29, 2025
- Cultural Studies
- Gender & Sexuality
Rhoni Blankenhorn’s ‘Mirror’
Rhoni Blankenhorn confronts her changing self, in a poem from LARB Quarterly no. 47, ‘Security.’
Rhoni BlankenhornDec 29, 2025
- LARB Lit
- Poetry
Mug Shot Matriarchy
Jake Flanagin examines how reality TV juggernaut Bravo and its ‘Real Housewives’ spin criminality into character development—and ratings gold.
Jake FlanaginDec 28, 2025
- Television
- Cultural Studies
Everybody Loves a Lover
Janna Jones writes about the history and resonances of ‘Love Tapes,’ Wendy Clarke’s 1980s video project.
Janna JonesDec 27, 2025
Paint, Personae, and the Mysteries of (Not) Making It
Jeff Stimmel considers the art and tumultuous life of Chuck Connelly.
Jeff StimmelDec 26, 2025
- Art & Architecture
Cowardice
In a story from LARB Quarterly no. 47: “Security,” Hannah Liberman’s narrator—who has a “lemon-sized” tumor in her throat—faces a possible cancer diagnosis that forces her to confront her memories, relationships, and losses.
Hannah LibermanDec 25, 2025
- LARB Lit
- Fiction