How Kendrick Lamar Became the Voice of a Generation How Kendrick Lamar Became the Voice of a Generation
A conversation with Marcus J. Moore about his cultural biography of Lamar and the L.A. rapper’s impact on Black America.
Sep 30, 2020 / Q&A / Ann-Derrick Gaillot
Julian Bond’s Life in Protest and Politics Julian Bond’s Life in Protest and Politics
A new collection of essays demonstrates how the civil rights icon’s thinking evolved amid the upheavals of the 20th century.
Aug 10, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Robert Greene II
The Biography That Reimagined a Life—and the Genre The Biography That Reimagined a Life—and the Genre
Diane Johnson’s The True History of the First Mrs. Meredith and Other Lesser Lives uses speculation and fabulation to correct the biases of history.
Jul 30, 2020 / Marie Solis
The Worlds of Edward Said The Worlds of Edward Said
An exile who made the world his home, Said infused his literary style with a cosmopolitan ease and his political commitments with a cosmopolitan ethics.
May 5, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Rashid Khalidi
The Unfortunate Ugliness of ‘The Last Dance’ The Unfortunate Ugliness of ‘The Last Dance’
Michael Jordan is compelling, but not when his bullying is portrayed as a positive part of his brand.
Apr 22, 2020 / Dave Zirin
Lorraine Hansberry’s Radicalism Lorraine Hansberry’s Radicalism
For the playwright and activist, neither liberal reform nor countercultural art were enough. The very foundations of American democracy needed to be transformed.
Apr 21, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Elias Rodriques
The Making of France’s Presidential System The Making of France’s Presidential System
Focusing on the tensions between top-down reforms and bottom-up democratic discontent, Herrick Chapman’s new history tells a very different story about postwar France.
Feb 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Hugo Drochon
John Berger’s Life Between Art and Politics John Berger’s Life Between Art and Politics
Caught between town and country, love and criticism, the English writer’s work tracks the political evolution of his generation.
Feb 3, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Bruce Robbins
Advice, From One Giant of 20th Century Literature to Another Advice, From One Giant of 20th Century Literature to Another
Kurt Vonnegut’s 1967 entreaty to José Donoso.
Dec 16, 2019 / Kurt Vonnegut
Whose Side Is Clarence Thomas On? Whose Side Is Clarence Thomas On?
A new book argues that the Supreme Court justice’s early embrace of black nationalism is central to understanding his politics and jurisprudence. But perhaps far better guides are ...
Oct 29, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Randall Kennedy