Robert Zaretsky

Robert Zaretsky is a professor in the Honors College at the University of Houston. He is the author of several books, most recently Victories Never Last: Reading and Caregiving in a Time of Plague (University of Chicago Press, 2022).

Articles

Remaining Rogue: On Andrew S. Curran’s “Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely”
Robert Zaretsky ponders “Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely” by Andrew S. Curran.
Robert ZaretskyMar 1, 2019
From City of Blight to City of Light
Robert Zaretsky looks at the illuminating “City of Light: The Making of Modern Paris” by Rupert Christiansen.
Robert ZaretskyJan 17, 2019
- Around the World
- History
Almost Too Sober: On the Appeal of Stoicism
Robert Zaretsky contemplates “How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life,” a selection of Epictetus’s thought translated by A. A. Long.
Robert ZaretskyOct 30, 2018
- Cultural Studies
- Philosophy & Religion
Nothing to Fear, but …
Robert Zaretsky tackles “The Monarchy of Fear: A Philosopher Looks at Our Political Crisis” by Martha C. Nussbaum.
Robert ZaretskySep 9, 2018
Remembering Simone Weil: The Price and the Purpose of Philosophy
Robert Zaretsky considers the legacy of Simone Weil 75 years after her death.
Robert ZaretskyAug 24, 2018
Left Mountebanks: On Agnès Poirier’s “Left Bank: Art, Passion, and the Rebirth of Paris, 1940–1950”
Robert Zaretsky finds fault with “Left Bank: Art, Passion, and the Rebirth of Paris, 1940–1950” by Agnès Poirier.
Robert ZaretskyJun 19, 2018
- Art & Architecture
- History
Responding to an Emergency: On Lynn Hunt’s “History: Why it Matters”
Robert Zaretsky appreciates “History: Why it Matters,” a rallying cry for the discipline by Lynn Hunt.
Robert ZaretskyApr 23, 2018
- History
“Each of Us Has His or Her Own Camus”: An Interview with Catherine Camus
Robert Zaretsky interviews Catherine Camus about her father, Albert Camus, and his correspondence with Maria Casarès.
Robert ZaretskyMar 4, 2018
“No Longer the Person I Was”: The Dazzling Correspondence of Albert Camus and Maria Casarès
Robert Zaretsky on the correspondence between Albert Camus and Maria Casarès.
Robert ZaretskyMar 4, 2018
On Authenticity
Robert Zarestky on the value placed on authenticity by both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Donald Trump.
Robert ZaretskyJan 9, 2018
Matters Large and Small: Reading Todd May’s “A Fragile Life” in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey
Robert Zaretsky reads “A Fragile Life” by Todd May in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Robert ZaretskyOct 10, 2017
- Philosophy & Religion
Weil Waiting: On the 75th Anniversary of Simone Weil's Visit to New York
Robert Zaretsky reflects on the 75th anniversary of Simone Weil's visit to New York.
Robert ZaretskyOct 8, 2017
“I Write on Human Skin”: Catherine the Great and the Rule of Law
Robert Zaretsky reflects on 250th anniversary of Catherine the Great’s Legislative Commission to propose a new code of law for the Russian Empire.
Robert ZaretskyJul 30, 2017
- History
Party like it’s 1789: A Presidential Primer for Bastille Day
Party like it’s 1789: A Presidential Primer for Bastille Day
Robert ZaretskyJul 13, 2017
Darkness Nearly Beyond Words: On Elizabeth Kostova’s “The Shadow Land”
Robert Zaretsky plumbs the depths of “The Shadow Land” by Elizabeth Kostova.
Robert ZaretskyJun 20, 2017
- Fiction
The Fragility of Politics: What Paul Ricoeur Can Teach Us About the French Election
Robert Zaretsky explores how Paul Ricoeur’s ethics inform Emmanuel Macron’s politics.
Robert ZaretskyMay 7, 2017
- Philosophy & Religion
- Politics