Books & the Arts
Can We Save Democracy? Can We Save Democracy?
Hélène Landemore’s case for an alternative system of popular government.
The Bund and the Radical History of Jewish Anti-Zionism The Bund and the Radical History of Jewish Anti-Zionism
Molly Crabapple’s Here Where We Live Is Our Country revisits the past of the Jewish Labor Bund and considers what it might mean for our future.
The Palestine of Soraya Antonius and Annemarie Jacir The Palestine of Soraya Antonius and Annemarie Jacir
In The Lord and in Palestine ’36, the story of Mandatory Palestine comes into focus.
The Making of the Millennial Working Class The Making of the Millennial Working Class
A new book follows a rising generation of labor organizers as they attempt to unionize their workplaces.
From the Magazine
Capitalism’s Long Revolution Capitalism’s Long Revolution
What happens to our understanding of capitalism when we assume that it might not come to an end?
John Edgar Wideman’s American Vernacular John Edgar Wideman’s American Vernacular
The master novelist offers a view of a United States defined by its cultures of improvisation.
The Nostalgic Architecture of the Obama Presidential Center The Nostalgic Architecture of the Obama Presidential Center
Where hope even has a gift shop.
Literary Criticism
Ben Lerner’s Novel of Fathers and Sons Ben Lerner’s Novel of Fathers and Sons
His most experimental and unsettling book, Transcription asks us whether art is futile or the most important weapon we have.
The Worlds of Jamaica Kincaid The Worlds of Jamaica Kincaid
Memory pervades a new collection of nonfiction, and so do the ghosts of empire.
Love and Literature in Leslie Fiedler’s America Love and Literature in Leslie Fiedler’s America
When will the American novel grow up?
History & Politics
What Happened to the American University? What Happened to the American University?
Once the envy of the world, higher education in the United States is now in a state of endless crisis.
The Catastrophe of Democratic Foreign Policy The Catastrophe of Democratic Foreign Policy
A new book on the Biden’s wars serves as a stark reminder that the Democrats need to formulate a new foreign policy—as well as reckon with the one they had.
The Centuries-Long Struggle to Make the Constitution Equal for All The Centuries-Long Struggle to Make the Constitution Equal for All
The effort to transform the United States’ founding document into a vehicle for egalitarian politics.
The Global Politics of Kwame Nkrumah The Global Politics of Kwame Nkrumah
Through Nkrumah’s story, Howard French charts the history of African decolonization and the American civil rights movement.
Art & Architecture
The Art of the American Revolution Across the Generations The Art of the American Revolution Across the Generations
The United States’ founding moment from Washington Crossing the Delaware to the paintings of Jacob Lawrence, Kara Walker, and Kent Monkman.
The Carnival of Venice Biennale The Carnival of Venice Biennale
That so much of the art of “In Minor Keys” is muted in effect is ironic, because so much of it is overproduced, aspirationally eye-catching, and so big.
Sunnyside Yard and the Quest for Affordable Housing in New York Sunnyside Yard and the Quest for Affordable Housing in New York
Constructing new residential buildings, let alone those with rental units that New Yorkers can afford, is never an easy task.
Film & Television
Claire Denis’s Haunting Neocolonial Drama Claire Denis’s Haunting Neocolonial Drama
Compared to her other films, The Fence is a minor work. But it contains within it a set of expansive themes.
The Fictitious Capital of HBO’s Industry The Fictitious Capital of HBO’s “Industry”
In the show’s fourth season, everyone has a story to sell and very few are true.
Boots Riley’s Communist Heist Film Boots Riley’s Communist Heist Film
Yes, it even has Marxist teleporters.
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The Architectural Follies of Trump’s Washington, DC The Architectural Follies of Trump’s Washington, DC
The president plans to remake the capital in his own image, but is all he is doing destroying what’s already there?
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What Role Should the Supreme Court Play in American Politics? What Role Should the Supreme Court Play in American Politics?
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Black Freedom in an Age of White Oligarchy Black Freedom in an Age of White Oligarchy
Justin Leroy’s The Lowest Freedom points toward the limits of liberty under racial capitalism.
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America Without the NFL America Without the NFL
Chuck Klosterman’s Football is a eulogy for the sport on the eve of its decline.
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In Honey, the novelist offers a different take on the campus satire.
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