Books and Ideas

An African American family seated in a convertible, 1972.

The Perils of a Post-Racial Utopia The Perils of a Post-Racial Utopia

In Nicola Yoon’s One of Our Kind, a dystopian novel of a Black upper-class suburb’s secrets, she examines the dangers of choosing exceptionalism over equality.

Nov 21, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

Skeletons used in a museum in Amsterdam. They are posed in various positions for working; sawing wood, doing housework, carrying planks, office work, etc.

Why Americans Are Obsessed With Poor Posture Why Americans Are Obsessed With Poor Posture

A recent history of the 20th-century movement to fix slouching questions the moral and political dimensions of addressing bad backs over wider public health concerns.

Nov 20, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Zoe Adams

The German reformer Thomas Muntzer (1491–1525) and his people during the German Peasants' War (1524–25). Colored engraving. 19th century.

Thomas Müntzer’s Misunderstood Revolution Thomas Müntzer’s Misunderstood Revolution

A recent biography of the German preacher and leader of the Peasants’s War examines what remains radical about the short-lived rebellion he led.

Nov 19, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Matt Broomfield

A detail of a painting by Thomas Nast.

Slavery in an Age of Emancipation Slavery in an Age of Emancipation

Robin Blackburn’s sweeping history of slavery and freedom in the 19th century.

Nov 19, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Manisha Sinha

Possibility, Force, and BDSM: A Conversation With Chris Kraus and Anna Poletti

Possibility, Force, and BDSM: A Conversation With Chris Kraus and Anna Poletti Possibility, Force, and BDSM: A Conversation With Chris Kraus and Anna Poletti

The two writers discuss the challenges of writing about sex, loneliness, and the new ways novels can tackle BDSM.

Nov 13, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Chris Kraus

Lore Segal’s Stubborn Optimism

Lore Segal’s Stubborn Optimism Lore Segal’s Stubborn Optimism

In her life and work, she moved through the world with a disarming blend of youthful curiosity and daring intelligence.

Nov 12, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Michele Moses

The Sheer Gusto of Jane DeLynn

The Sheer Gusto of Jane DeLynn The Sheer Gusto of Jane DeLynn

1982’s In Thrall was a magnificent piece of queer fiction, at once comic and courageous.

Nov 11, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Colm Tóibín

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Family Dramas

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Family Dramas Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Family Dramas

In her latest novel, Long Island Compromise, the novelist explores how a kidnapping transforms a suburban New York family.

Oct 30, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Erin Somers

This man has done worse than accept free flights on Turkish Airlines.

The Real Scandal in New York City The Real Scandal in New York City

What’s worse than taking illegal foreign campaign contributions? Mayor Eric Adams’s failure to meet the city’s glaring needs.

Oct 29, 2024 / D.D. Guttenplan

Nation Poetry

Rimbaud’s Beach Rimbaud’s Beach

Oct 29, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Saadi Youssef

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