Books and Ideas

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Took Place 60 Years Ago Today

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Took Place 60 Years Ago Today The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll Took Place 60 Years Ago Today

From Emmett Till to Hattie Carroll to Amadou Diallo to Freddie Gray to Breonna Taylor to Tyre Nichols—the senseless deaths caused by the racism embedded in the DNA of our country h...

Feb 9, 2023 / Marc Steiner

Is “The Dig” the Most Important Podcast on the Left?

Is “The Dig” the Most Important Podcast on the Left? Is “The Dig” the Most Important Podcast on the Left?

A conversation with Daniel Denvir about how his podcast became an essential feature of a radical education, the challenges facing leftist organizers, and much more.

Feb 9, 2023 / Q&A / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Eugene Debs at the US Penitentiary in Atlanta

The Crusade Against Civil Liberties During World War I The Crusade Against Civil Liberties During World War I

Adam Hochschild’s latest book, American Midnight, examines a dark era in US history in which Woodrow Wilson and his administration went to war at home as well as abroad. 

Feb 7, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Eric Foner

The Immense Irony of the GOP’s Anti-Socialism Vote

The Immense Irony of the GOP’s Anti-Socialism Vote The Immense Irony of the GOP’s Anti-Socialism Vote

Republicans are crowing over their resolution denouncing socialism, but their next presidential candidate will be chosen in a city that socialism built.

Feb 6, 2023 / John Nichols

Pope Francis and President Felix Tshiekedi address a crowd

The Pope Delivers a Clear Message in the Democratic Republic of Congo The Pope Delivers a Clear Message in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Francis’s visit sought to address violence and corruption in the Central African state. The violent and the corrupt lined up for an audience.

Feb 6, 2023 / Hugh Kinsella Cunningham and Nicolas Niarchos

Flowers and candles at a memorial outside the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, California.

Huu Can Tran’s American Dream Huu Can Tran’s American Dream

The Monterey Park shooter lost his wife and his home. But one totem of assimilation remained within easy reach.

Feb 6, 2023 / Mari Uyehara

The Radicalization of Édouard Louis

The Radicalization of Édouard Louis The Radicalization of Édouard Louis

Two new books by the French novelist mark a political turn in his writing.

Feb 6, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Tara K. Menon

Josh Hawley holding pencil in front of microphone

The GOP’s Phony Class War The GOP’s Phony Class War

Racist resentment plus plutocratic economics don’t equal a “working-class party.”

Feb 3, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education

Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education

The controversy at Hamline over a painting of Muhammad shown in an art class demonstrates the danger of prioritizing religious beliefs over academic freedom.

Feb 2, 2023 / Column / Katha Pollitt

Ginza at Night by Franklin McMahon

A Translator in Tokyo, or: A Language Love Story A Translator in Tokyo, or: A Language Love Story

Polly Barton's memoir Fifty Sounds documents the intimacy of the act of translation and the process of learning a new language.

Feb 2, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Max Norman

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