The Monthly Digest: November 2020

This October, in the lead-up to the next presidential election, LARB ran a number of reviews, essays, and interviews that tackled some of the most pressing political issues of the day. Taken together, these pieces serve as a reminder that all politics is both local and global — that what happens in one’s backyard always intersects, in one way or another, with what happens on the world stage. Below you will find pieces on US foreign and domestic policy, local histories of redlined neighborhoods and sanctuary cities, informed reviews of politically charged films, and considerations of new approaches to climate change and monetary policy. Each piece, in its own way, is a call to look deeper and to stay engaged. — LARB Editorial

John Yoo Tortures History and Law to Defend Donald Trump
Stephen Rohde reviews John Yoo's "Defender in Chief: Donald Trump’s Fight for Presidential Power."
Stephen RohdeNov 1, 2020
Financial Bubbles, Crashes, and Reform: What Works?
John C. Coffee Jr. reviews Joel Seligman's recently published book, "Misalignment: The New Financial Order and the Failure of Financial Regulation."
John C. Coffee Jr.Nov 1, 2020
Green Devolution
Latin American leftists once saw oil as a way to buy their own independence, but it turned out to be a curse.
Jared OlsonNov 1, 2020
- Around the World
- Politics
Keeping the Centrist Faith?
Rereading Sinclair Lewis’s “Main Street” in Donald Trump’s America.
Matt HansonOct 31, 2020
- Fiction
- Politics
The Great Distraction: On Aaron Sorkin’s “Trial of the Chicago 7”
J. Hoberman passes judgment on “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” directed by Aaron Sorkin.
J. HobermanOct 31, 2020
- Film
- Politics
“The Quiet Americans” Reveals the Un-American History of American Espionage
A history of Cold War failures as seen through the tragic careers of four American spies.
Pearse AndersonOct 30, 2020
Cold War Mirrors
Shehryar Fazli reviews "The Quiet Americans," Scott Anderson's new history of the Cold War.
Shehryar FazliOct 30, 2020
Sanctuary Unmasked: The First Time Los Angeles (Sort of) Became a City of Refuge
The story of Los Angeles’s pathbreaking — and fragile — declaration of “sanctuary city” status in 1985.
Paul A. KramerOct 25, 2020
- History
- Politics
Anti-Extremism Versus Anti-Fascism
Two new books lay out the differences between anti-extremism and anti-fascism.
Peter BerardOct 25, 2020
- Politics
On the Vote: Emma Goldman and Women’s Suffrage
On the centennial of the 19th Amendment, Emma Goldman reminds us that the vote is not a panacea.
Angela ShpolbergOct 24, 2020
When Government Disappears: On Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling’s “A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear”
When libertarians take over a New England town and get rid of regulations, the bears move in and wreak havoc.
Amanda GokeeOct 21, 2020
- Politics
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
German Pigs and the Autocrats Who Loved Them
“Communist Pigs” advances the swine history of Germany, taking readers to the era of authoritarian rule in the GDR.
Natalie KochOct 15, 2020
Greece, Cut and Dried
Piper French reviews "The Passenger: Greece," the new essay collection from Europa Editions and Iperborea.
Piper FrenchOct 15, 2020
Slavery’s End: On Tom Zoellner’s “Island on Fire”
A history of Sharpe’s Rebellion in Jamaica and its role in the abolition of British slavery.
Charmaine McKenzieOct 13, 2020
On “Rioting” and State Violence: A Conversation with AK Thompson
The social theorist and activist AK Thompson discusses the relationship between protest violence and political representation.
Clare O’ConnorOct 12, 2020
- Histories of Violence
- Politics
“Wright-Gate” and Newt’s Ruthless Playbook
The story of how an ethical tussle in Congress during the early 1990s broke American politics for decades.
Amelia PollardOct 9, 2020
- History
- Politics
Mainstreaming MMT
Stephanie Kelton says we can afford Medicare for All, and the Green New Deal, and a guaranteed wage.
Aaron WistarOct 8, 2020
- Economics and Finance
- Politics
The Stories Michael Shellenberger Tells
Michael Shellenberger wants us to believe environmentalists are impeding our ability to solve environmental problems.
Sam BlissOct 6, 2020
- Politics
- Science & Technology
Charisma: Now You’ve Got It, Now You Don’t
A rich and rewarding study of political leadership in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Robert ZaretskyOct 6, 2020
- History
- Politics
What Makes “A People’s History”?
Hannah Zeavin examines the critical possibilities of the “people’s history.”
Hannah ZeavinOct 6, 2020
Remapping White Childhood: On Fresno Redlining
Nathan Hensley on the machinery of white unknowing.
Nathan K. HensleyOct 5, 2020
- History
- Politics
Life and Death in the Rage of Trump
Stephen Rohde reviews “Rage,” Bob Woodward’s look into the Trump White House.
Stephen RohdeOct 4, 2020
- Law
- Politics
Threshold of Life: The Death of Nadira Kadirova
On global citizenship and the fate of the Istanbul Convention on violence against women.
Helen MackreathOct 3, 2020
The Great Anti-Left Show
Right-wing media defines itself by a caricature of what they’re against.
Anthony NadlerOct 2, 2020
- Cultural Studies
- Politics