Books and Ideas

A female welder. Circa 1930s–1940s.

A Sweeping History of the Black Working Class A Sweeping History of the Black Working Class

By focusing on the Black working class and its long history, Blair LM Kelley’s book, Black Folk, helps tell the larger story of American democracy over the past two and a half cen...

Jun 12, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Robert Greene II

Nation Poetry

Royal Pardon Royal Pardon

Jun 12, 2024 / Poems / Jessica Q. Stark

Joni Mitchell being interviewed in 1972 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell

Ann Powers’s deeply personal biography of Joni Mitchell looks at how a generation of listeners came to identify with the folk singer’s intimate songs.

Jun 11, 2024 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu

Central Park Tower, One57, and 111 West 57th Street, 2022.

What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises? What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises?

A walk along 57th Street.

Jun 10, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Karrie Jacobs

A splitscreen image of a headshot of author Essie Chambers alongside the cover of her debut novel, Swift River.

A New Novel Explores How to Develop Black Identity in the Absence of Black Culture A New Novel Explores How to Develop Black Identity in the Absence of Black Culture

In Essie Chambers’s debut novel, Swift River, protagonist Diamond Newberry finds ways to fill the gaps in her family tree.

Jun 6, 2024 / Kali Holloway

Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton attend a portrait unveiling ceremony in the Russell Senate Office Building on December 8, 2016.

Showing Contempt for Young Voters Is a Great Way for Democrats to Lose in November Showing Contempt for Young Voters Is a Great Way for Democrats to Lose in November

Hillary Clinton’s arrogance already lost one election. And if Joe Biden follows her example, it can easily cost another.

Jun 6, 2024 / Column / Jeet Heer

Nation Poetry

Controlled Burning/A Love Poem for the Hill Controlled Burning/A Love Poem for the Hill

Jun 6, 2024 / Poems / Tyree Daye

Philip Glass, performing a composition from “Notes on a Scandal.”

Philip Glass, Solo Artist Philip Glass, Solo Artist

In his most recent album, the composer marks a new turn in his style.

Jun 5, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Bijan Stephen

The Myths of Anne Carson

The Myths of Anne Carson The Myths of Anne Carson

Throughout her long and prolific career, Carson has specialized in unexpected juxtapositions between modern life and ancient times, contemporary art and the literature of the...

Jun 4, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Emily Wilson

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is seen after a swearing in ceremony for Mark Esper to be the new US secretary of defense in 2019.

A Lesson From the High Court A Lesson From the High Court

Jun 4, 2024 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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