Books & the Arts

The Mind-Bending Fiction of Mircea Cărtărescu

The Mind-Bending Fiction of Mircea Cărtărescu The Mind-Bending Fiction of Mircea Cărtărescu

In his postmodern epic Solenoid, the Romanian novelist offers us an extraordinary and baroque elaboration of a subjectivity less than ordinary.

Apr 3, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Will Self

Nation Poetry

The City Wears a Coat to Bed The City Wears a Coat to Bed

The white army of winter spreads across the city. Boilers and radiators die in their sleep, their skin cold to the touch in the morning. The city wears a coat to bed. The city watc…

Apr 1, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Martín Espada

A Portrait of Leonard Cohen as a Young Artist

A Portrait of Leonard Cohen as a Young Artist A Portrait of Leonard Cohen as a Young Artist

A posthumous collection of early fiction, A Ballet of Lepers, chronicles how, in fits and starts, the singer came to understand the art of storytelling.

Mar 30, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Sam Sodomsky

Los Angeles's Koreatown, 1992

The Puzzle of Ryan Lee Wong’s Activist Autofiction The Puzzle of Ryan Lee Wong’s Activist Autofiction

In his debut, Which Side Are You On, he examines fractures in the Asian American community through the eyes of a recently radicalized college student.

Mar 28, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Esther Kim

A scene from All That Breathes.

A Meditation on Trans-Species Love A Meditation on Trans-Species Love

The Nation spoke with Shaunak Sen, whose film All That Breathes follows a bird hospital in New Dehli and the monumental mission of saving a city's dying black kites.

Mar 27, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Jasmine Liu

A New Continuum of Art History at the Carnegie International

A New Continuum of Art History at the Carnegie International A New Continuum of Art History at the Carnegie International

The long-running exhibition of international art offers an indispensable lesson in art outside the bounds of America’s reach and a different way to see history.

Mar 23, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

A draughtsman, circa 1940.

What’s the Matter With Contemporary Architecture? What’s the Matter With Contemporary Architecture?

In his new book, Reinier de Graaf attempts to work out why his profession appears to be at an impasse.

Mar 22, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Marianela D’Aprile

18th-century map of Madagasca

The Hidden Treasures of Pirate Democracy The Hidden Treasures of Pirate Democracy

In his final book, David Graeber looks at an experiment in radical democracy and piratical justice in Madagascar.

Mar 21, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Marcus Rediker

Nation Poetry

Brother Leaves Voicemails from CPEP  Brother Leaves Voicemails from CPEP 

Alex, any time, and at a moment’s notice you should give me the number I ask for. Unlock my phone, my money Somebody fucking stole my Gucci scarf And tell mom my son is not her chi…

Mar 21, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Alexandra Watson

The Defiance of Cormac McCarthy’s Late Style

The Defiance of Cormac McCarthy’s Late Style The Defiance of Cormac McCarthy’s Late Style

In Stella Maris and The Passenger, McCarthy invites us to consider hopelessness not just to give us hope but to compel us to make use of it.

Mar 20, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Nicolás Medina Mora

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