Books & the Arts

How Did the Constitution Become America’s Authoritative Text?

How Did the Constitution Become America’s Authoritative Text? How Did the Constitution Become America’s Authoritative Text?

A new history of the early American republic recasts the origins of originalism and how the Constitution gained its “fixed” status.

Feb 7, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Karen J. Greenberg

The Making of Our Polluted Age

The Making of Our Polluted Age The Making of Our Polluted Age

Three new books examine how the rise of coal, oil, and gas has permanently remade our world.

Feb 6, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Bill McKibben

Where Does Art Belong?

Where Does Art Belong? Where Does Art Belong?

A trio of recent shows—from Hilma af Klint, Warhol, and Bruce Nauman—propose radically different answers to that question. 

Feb 4, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

‘Maid’ Offers a Striking Portrait of Single-Working-Motherhood

‘Maid’ Offers a Striking Portrait of Single-Working-Motherhood ‘Maid’ Offers a Striking Portrait of Single-Working-Motherhood

Stephanie Land’s memoir is an intimate look at the day-to-day reality of poverty in the United States.

Jan 31, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Ann-Derrick Gaillot

Reckoning With the Man Who Sold Architecture to the Masses

Reckoning With the Man Who Sold Architecture to the Masses Reckoning With the Man Who Sold Architecture to the Masses

A new biography explores how Philip Johnson’s career transformed architecture into the celebrity-obsessed and market-driven field it’s become. 

Jan 29, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Kate Wagner

Meet Sneaks, DC’s DIY Maverick

Meet Sneaks, DC’s DIY Maverick Meet Sneaks, DC’s DIY Maverick

On her new album, Highway Hypnosis, the post-punk artist revels in rawness.

Jan 24, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Julyssa Lopez

Where Does Truth Fit into Democracy?

Where Does Truth Fit into Democracy? Where Does Truth Fit into Democracy?

In modern democracies, who gets to determine what counts as truth—an elite of experts or the people as a whole?

Jan 24, 2019 / Books & the Arts / David A. Bell

The Worlds of Anthony Powell

The Worlds of Anthony Powell The Worlds of Anthony Powell

Dance to the Music of Time succeeds because it escapes its origins and captures an era marked by uncertainty and wonder.

Jan 24, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Christopher de Bellaigue

In the Shadow of the CMS

In the Shadow of the CMS In the Shadow of the CMS

How content-management systems will shape the future of media businesses big and small. 

Jan 14, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Kyle Chayka

Eyewitness to the German Revolution

Eyewitness to the German Revolution Eyewitness to the German Revolution

Victor Klemperer’s dispatches from interwar Germany.

Jan 10, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Peter E. Gordon

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