Cultural Studies

"Culture is an instrument wielded by professors to manufacture professors." — Simone Weil

Sister Acts: Why Nuns Are Showing Up Everywhere
What’s familiar and what’s new about our current fascination with the figure and the mystery of the nun, from Rosalía to self-help books.
Alexandra VeriniJan 28
Toward a More Creative Vampirism
Radu Jude’s ‘Dracula’ shines sunlight on the vampirism of cinematic AI and the ways studios have bled the vampire IP dry.
Ryan BedsaulJan 26
- Film
- Cultural Studies
Tricksters and the Spirit World
Julian Brave NoiseCat discusses ‘We Survived the Night,’ his genre-bending revival of the ‘Coyote epic,’ with Leila Nadir.
Leila NadirJan 24
- Cultural Studies
- Environment
Opposition Party
In 2025, television offered a primer in principled dissent.
Elizabeth AlsopJan 22
- Television
- Cultural Studies
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
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
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
When Story Loses the Plot
Hannah H. Kim ponders the plotless narrative as a tool for meaning-making.
Hannah H. KimDec 20, 2025
- Philosophy & Religion
- Cultural Studies
Happy Birthday, Jane!
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Stephanie Insley Hershinow offers a survey of recent Austen-related books and artworks.
Stephanie Insley HershinowDec 16, 2025
- Fiction
- Cultural Studies
Drawing America’s Brutal Imagination
Justin A. Davis writes on Ralph Bakshi’s controversial film “Coonskin” for its 50th anniversary, in a preview of the LARB Quarterly no. 47, “Security.”
Justin A. DavisDec 16, 2025
- Film
- Cultural Studies
Freeing the Library
Aaron Boehmer writes about community libraries and the importance of accessible archival and literary resources in these times.
Aaron BoehmerDec 5, 2025
- Politics
- Cultural Studies