Books & the Arts

The Radical World of Chicago’s Black Comic Artists

The Radical World of Chicago’s Black Comic Artists The Radical World of Chicago’s Black Comic Artists

An anthology of Black comic book makers from the the postwar era offers a glimpse into a genre of art that skewered the bigotry of white liberalism.  

Nov 23, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Zito Madu

The Green Bank telescope in West Virginia

Life in West Virginia’s “Quiet Zone” Life in West Virginia’s “Quiet Zone”

A recent book by journalist Stephen Kurczy examines what happens in a vast swath of the country where wireless signal is limited and carefully regulated.

Nov 22, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Evan Malmgren

Inside the Hell That Is “The Many Saints of Newark”

Inside the Hell That Is “The Many Saints of Newark” Inside the Hell That Is “The Many Saints of Newark”

All of the things that worked in The Sopranos make its prequel a remarkable slog of a film.

Nov 18, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Schwartz

Nation Poetry

In Resemblance of the Living In Resemblance of the Living

Alone I spirit myself away looking at the many flowers born on the balcony, certainly not thanks to me, the gardener was the wind. They skin me with precision, their beauty sinks i…

Nov 16, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Chandra Livia Candiani

Nation Poetry

You Couldn’t Lose Me You Couldn’t Lose Me

It was like waking up in California— the awkward blossoms, the sky an aggressive blue. I remember the smell from your armpits, the greenhouse windows covered in white paint, where…

Nov 16, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Richie Hofmann

George Packer’s Liberal Faith

George Packer’s Liberal Faith George Packer’s Liberal Faith

In his new book, Packer returns to his theme of liberalism in crisis and in need of renewal.

Nov 15, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Nikhil Pal Singh

How Protest Moves From the Streets Into the Statehouse

How Protest Moves From the Streets Into the Statehouse How Protest Moves From the Streets Into the Statehouse

In The Loud Minority, Daniel Gillion examines the relationship between electoral politics and protest movements.

Nov 13, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Erin Pineda

Joanna Hogg and the Art of Life

Joanna Hogg and the Art of Life Joanna Hogg and the Art of Life

Her remarkable two-part film The Souvenir examines how an artist turns the fragments of their personal history into an enduring story.

Nov 11, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Devika Girish

Succession - Jeremy Strong

“Succession”’s Repetition Compulsion “Succession”’s Repetition Compulsion

In Succession’s moral universe, no one can ever get what they want or what they deserve.

Nov 10, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Sam Adler-Bell

Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness

Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness Dave Chappelle’s Comedy of Bitterness

In his recent special The Closer, and his response to critics of it, he outlines a strange version of identity politics where comedians are always the victims. 

Nov 9, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

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