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The Ashtray Has Landed: The Case of Morris v. Kuhn
Much of "The Ashtray" is witty, ebullient, and generous. Errol Morris shares his wide range of interests, and his enthusiasm for philosophy is infectious.
Philip KitcherMay 18, 2018
The Disappearance of the Subject: On Armen Avanessian’s “Miamification”
On “Miamification” by Armen Avanessian, which tries to imagine a "progressive politics equidistant from technological utopianism and technophobia.”
Adrian Nathan WestMay 17, 2018
Hardly Navel-Gazing
Does existentialism still deserve our attention? On "The Existentialist’s Survival Guide: How to Live Authentically in an Inauthentic Age."
Edward F. MooneyMay 16, 2018
- Philosophy & Religion
- Religion
Love’s Languishing in the “Last Stories” of William Trevor
Robert Allen Papinchak finds William Trevor’s posthumous collection “Last Stories” impeccable.
Robert Allen PapinchakMay 15, 2018
- Fiction
The Boy Who Stared Death in the Eye: On Gaito Gazdanov’s “The Beggar and Other Stories”
Eileen Battersby finds many riches in “The Beggar and Other Stories” by Gaito Gazdanov, translated from the Russian by Bryan Karetnyk.
Eileen BattersbyMay 15, 2018
- Around the World
- Fiction
Closer to Beast Than Angel
Frans de Waal considers three new books about whether humans are exceptional.
Frans de WaalMay 14, 2018
- Science & Technology
Human Rights Lawyers — A Stalwart Breed
Mark Ellis reviews Michael Sfard's "The Wall and the Gate: Israel, Palestine, and the Legal Battle for Human."
Mark EllisMay 12, 2018
High-Tech Bildungsroman: The Hysterical Optimism of Silicon Valley
On the cynical libertarianism of our high-tech Horatio Algers.
Daniel PearceMay 12, 2018
The EU on a Shoestring
How young backpackers remade the social landscape of postwar Europe.
Max HolleranMay 12, 2018
Ruffled Feathers; or, Fowl Play at the Tring Estate
“The Feather Thief” reminded me of that long list of TV shows about male sub-cultures with their own sub-ethics, from “The Sopranos” through “Breaking Bad.”
Temma EhrenfeldMay 11, 2018
- History
- Science & Technology
Speaking for the Trees: Richard Powers’s “The Overstory”
What does it mean to make nonhuman nature the “overstory”? Can trees carry a novel's narrative, which usually relies on human characters and conflicts?
Claire Miye StanfordMay 10, 2018
- Fiction
Canoodling with Junk Food: On Tommy Pico’s “Junk”
Jacquelyn Ardam on the ecstasy of detritus in Tommy Pico’s “Junk.”
Jacquelyn ArdamMay 10, 2018
- Gender & Sexuality
- Poetry
“Little Guy” America
How does Robert Wuthnow's "The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America" differ from other examples of the post-2016 "Reaching-Out Industry"?
L. Benjamin RolskyMay 9, 2018
- Politics
- Religion
Family Matters: On Rebekah Frumkin’s “The Comedown”
Bradley Babendir reviews Rebekah Frumkin’s “The Comedown,” a novel full of dramatic irony and striking dissonance.
Bradley BabendirMay 8, 2018
- Fiction
Human Rights and Neoliberalism
Nils Gilman offers a penetrating analysis of “Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World” by Samuel Moyn.
Nils GilmanMay 8, 2018
Deft Hand, Cold Heart: Rita Bullwinkel’s Debut “Belly Up”
Katharine Coldiron finds Rita Bullwinkel’s debut story collection skillful but distant.
Katharine ColdironMay 8, 2018
- Fiction