Books & the Arts

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

Beautiful, Lonely, and Degraded: Gavin Lambert’s LA

Beautiful, Lonely, and Degraded: Gavin Lambert’s LA Beautiful, Lonely, and Degraded: Gavin Lambert’s LA

In his 1979 novel The Goodby People, he finds a picturesque city defined by its sense of disconnection and immense sadness.

Mar 16, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Kate Wolf

The Obscene Invention of California Capitalism

The Obscene Invention of California Capitalism The Obscene Invention of California Capitalism

A conversation with Malcolm Harris about his new history of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, the West Coast's settler ideology, and recent turbulence in the world of tech.

Mar 15, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Emma Hager

James Ensor's “L'Intrigue,” 1890

Down and Out in Paris With Rainer Maria Rilke Down and Out in Paris With Rainer Maria Rilke

In The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, the German poet’s only novel, a young artist contends with the contradictions of urban experience and the dream of pastoral life 

Mar 14, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Ratik Asokan

A police officer stands beside an automobile involved in an accident,

The Reckless History of the Automobile The Reckless History of the Automobile

In The Car, Bryan Appleyard sets out to celebrate the freedom these vehicles granted. But what if they were a dangerous technology from the start?

Mar 13, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Paris Marx

Daniel Giménez Cacho as Silverio in Bardo

The Many Labyrinths of Alejandro Iñarritu’s Oscar-Nominated “Bardo” The Many Labyrinths of Alejandro Iñarritu’s Oscar-Nominated “Bardo”

Disjointed, unnerving, and divisive, Bardo challenges its viewers to make sense of it.

Mar 9, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Ilan Stavans

Oscar statues, 1877.

What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit What the Oscars Represent: Meritocracy Without Merit

In Michael Schulman’s extensive history of the awards, Oscar Wars, he documents how the institution’s reactionary origins still leak into today’s film culture.

Mar 8, 2023 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

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