History

"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history." — George Bernard Shaw

Hurray for Inventing New Genres or Whatever: On Dr. Moiya McTier’s “The Milky Way”
Joani Etskovitz explores the genres at play — from astronomy and mythology to self-help and romance — in Dr. Moiya McTier’s “The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy.”
Joani EtskovitzDec 24, 2022
Whatever Weapon: On Gender and Italian Literature
Janna Brancolini discusses the dynamic relationship between restrictive Italian gender roles, Italy’s biggest literary prize, and the nation's history of women writers, who have rarely won it.
Janna BrancoliniDec 23, 2022
Hollywood on Hollywood: On Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson’s Oral History “Hollywood”
Chris Yogerst reviews Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson’s “Hollywood: The Oral History.”
Chris YogerstDec 5, 2022
California, Coming Home: On Julia Scheeres and Allison Gilbert’s “Listen, World!”
Lauren Arrington considers a biography of influential newspaper columnist Elsie Robinson, “Listen, World! How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman” by Julia Scheeres and Allison Gilbert.
Lauren ArringtonNov 28, 2022
The Archival Abyss of Pinochet’s Chile: On Nona Fernández’s “Space Invaders”
Josh Weeks reviews Chilean author Nona Fernández’s novel “Space Invaders,” translated by Natasha Wimmer.
Josh WeeksNov 24, 2022
An Obituary for Originalism: On Erwin Chemerinsky’s “Worse Than Nothing”
Stephen Rohde reviews Erwin Chemerinsky’s “Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism.”
Stephen RohdeNov 23, 2022
The Truth Was Out There: On the Legacy of Art Bell
Jesse Robertson considers the legacy of insomnia-prone radio host Art Bell.
Jesse RobertsonNov 22, 2022
Nada Que Ver: On Julián Cardona and Alice Leora Briggs’s “Abecedario de Juárez”
José Luis Benavides reviews “Abecedario de Juárez: An Illustrated Lexicon” by Julián Cardona and Alice Leora Briggs, with translations by Alice L. Driver.
José Luis BenavidesNov 21, 2022
Brand America: 100 Years of PENs
Esther Allen reports on the state of PEN America.
Esther AllenNov 19, 2022
The Legacy of a Caged Bird: On Gene Andrew Jarrett’s “Paul Laurence Dunbar”
Vesper North considers Gene Andrew Jarrett’s updated biography, “Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird.”
Vesper NorthNov 17, 2022
Going Coastal: On Some Recent Books About the Ecology and History of Beaches
Daniela Blei explores the paradoxes constituted by “the beach” — an allegedly natural place of leisure and fun since the Industrial Revolution, and now the site of our species’ myopia.
Daniela BleiNov 16, 2022
Bookhood: On Emma Smith’s “Portable Magic”
Daniel Blank reviews Emma Smith’s “Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers.”
Daniel BlankNov 15, 2022
- History
- Nonfiction